Reuters: G. Tsounis is the candidate for US Ambassador to Greece
Greek-American George Tsounis is being nominated by the White House for the post of US Ambassador to Greece, according to Reuters.
The US government official said that George Tsounis has all the qualifications to take up the news at the embassy in Greece, emphasizing that he speaks very good Greek and participates in many Greek-American associations, as broadcast by the agency.
Mr. Tsounis is the founder of Chartwell Hotels LLC and chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, which manages an area of 92 acres for development in Manhattan.
“He speaks Greek fluently and is on the board of many Greek organizations. There is no doubt that he will fit very well in the position,” notes the unnamed official.
He added that President Biden and Mr. Chouni had known each other for two decades and that they first met when Biden was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The two men have held extensive discussions on U.S. relations in the region, he said.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, Mr Tsounis said he was “proud and humbled” by his candidacy. It is noted that his appointment will have to be ratified by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
His candidacy, however, has attracted criticism from top diplomats who accuse him of lack of preparation when he was nominated for the post of ambassador to Norway in 2014, according to Reuters. His candidacy for ambassador to Norway was eventually withdrawn.