New US Ambassador to Athens George Tsunis has made his first social media post since assuming the role from Geoffrey Pyatt.
"Good morning from Athens!" the ambassador wrote in a tweet.
"As the proud son of Greek immigrants, it's an honor of a lifetime to return to Greece and serve as the next US Ambassador. I'm very happy!"
Καλημέρα από Αθήνα! As the proud son of Greek immigrants, it's an honor of a lifetime to return to Greece and serve as the next U.S. Ambassador. Χαίρομαι πολύ! pic.twitter.com/82B0CRQEk5
— George J. Tsunis (@USAmbassadorGR) May 7, 2022
George James Tsunis is an American lawyer and businessman.
On October 8, 2021, he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Greece and was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 10, 2022.
He was previously a nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Norway by President Obama, although his nomination ultimately failed.
The Greek-American was born in Queens, and is the son of first-generation immigrants from Greece, James and Eleni Tsunis. He graduated from Commack High School in Commack, New York in 1985.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classic Studies at New York University in 1989, and a Juris Doctor degree at St. John’s University School of Law in 1992.
The businessman was nominated as Ambassador to Norway on September 10, 2013. His nomination was part of a backlog of nominees for ambassador positions across the world. Norway had never been without a US ambassador for as long.
His nomination hearing generated controversy, both in Norway and in the USA, due to his confession of never having been to Norway, and his apparent ignorance of Norwegian political issues.
According to some sources, the U.S. Embassy apologized for some statements to the Norwegian government and other involved parties in Norway.
In statements to the press in December 2014, Tsunis indicated that he was no longer seeking the nomination as ambassador to Norway.
READ MORE: ATHENS: US Embassy transitions for incoming Ambassador.
