U.S. To Send New Ambassador to Albania

James Franklin Jeffrey has been nominated replace Joseph Limprecht as Ambassador to Albania. Ambassador Limprecht died unexpectedly in May while on duty in Albania. Mr. Jeffrey’s nomination has been sent to the Senate for confirmation. It is expected to be approved by the Senate soon after they return from August recess.

Mr. Jeffrey is a Minister-Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service. His most recent assignments were as Deputy Chief of Mission to Ankara, 1999-2002, and to Kuwait, 1996-1999. He joined the Foreign Service in 1977, and has served in addition in Tunis, Sofia, Munich, Adana, and on a first assignment to Ankara in 1985-87. In the Department, Mr. Jeffrey has served as Senior Greek Desk Officer, as Officer in Charge of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, as Deputy Office Director in the Office of Near Eastern Peace Process and Regional Affairs, and as Deputy Presidential Special Advisor for Bosnia Implementation. He speaks German, French, and Turkish.

Mr. Jeffrey received a BA in History from Northeastern University in 1969, and an MS in Business Administration from Boston University in 1977. He also holds a diplome in the French language from the University of Paris. From 1969-1976 Mr. Jeffrey served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, with assignments in Germany and Vietnam. He is married, with two children. He was born in Massachusetts, and his current state of residence is Virginia.