It was December 11, 2024, when Donald Trump announced his decision to appoint Kimberly Guilfoyle as successor to George Tsunis at the United States embassy in Greece. As he noted, “her leadership role in justice matters, media, and politics, along with her keen insight, makes her exceptionally capable of representing the US and protecting our interests abroad.”
Read: Kimberly Guilfoyle: Her first reaction after confirmation as US ambassador to Greece – “My honor”
Since then, nine full months passed until Guilfoyle finally successfully completed the hearing process before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (in July) and received approval from the full Senate the day before yesterday, in a delay primarily due to broader intense political standoff between Democrats and Republicans.
Guilfoyle’s priorities in Greece
Her arrival in Athens to officially assume her duties is now expected around mid-October, when she will become the 25th US ambassador to serve in Greece, following the upgrade of the American diplomatic mission to an embassy in 1942. “I am extremely grateful to President Donald J. Trump and the United States Senate for the trust they have shown in me. It is the greatest honor of my life to serve as the first woman US ambassador to the Hellenic Republic,” were her first words after the formal confirmation of her appointment. “Greece is the cradle of Democracy, freedom, and the rule of law – the same ideals that inspired the founders of the United States and continue to make America the greatest country in the world,” Guilfoyle continued in the same statement and added: “As ambassador, I look forward to working with our Greek allies to advance peace, prosperity, and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. I intend to be a proud representative of President Trump, a staunch defender of American interests, and an unwavering friend to Greece and the Greek people.”
Guilfoyle: First diplomatic contacts
One day earlier, she had the opportunity to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew up close at the reception held in his honor in Washington, where he made an official visit. She also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, who is in the American capital, and subsequently with Maritime Minister Vassilis Kikilias.
Published in Parapolitika
