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| Ambassador Timothy A Chorba, President of the Council of American Ambassadors |
On May 5th, a delegation from the Council of American Ambassadors will visit the Western Balkans, with stops in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. The delegation will be led by the President of the Council, Ambassador Timothy A. Chorba.
The Council is an institution that gathers non-career ambassadors of the United States. It counts more than 200 members, with a collective treasure trove of ambassadorial experience spanning over six decades, in service to eleven U.S. presidents.
President Timothy A. Chorba, who will lead the delegation coming to the region, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1994 to 1998. He spent most of his career as a Partner at the renowned law firm in Washington, Patton Boggs, where he worked since 1977.
The Council of American Ambassadors is a simple but ingenious idea that aggregates and institutionalizes the extraordinary experience gained from years of service in important diplomatic posts around the world. This institution offers direct support for the State Department and American diplomatic mission leaders worldwide, "sponsors scholarships for the development of young leaders in public diplomacy and international affairs, and holds biannual conferences for Council members on current international issues.
The Council holds roundtable discussions with foreign ambassadors in the United States, organizes fact-finding missions abroad, publishes a magazine twice a year: "American Ambassadors Review," administers the Council's digital platform "American Ambassadors Live!" for commentary on foreign affairs, and educates the public on foreign policy issues that affect national interests." (More about the Council of American Ambassadors can be found here: https://www.americanambassadors.org/
He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1968 from Georgetown University in the field of Government. In 1968-1969, he studied International Law and Relations at the University of Heidelberg in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. He completed his legal studies with a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1972 and passed the New York bar exam in 1973. From 1968 to 1986, he served as a reserve officer in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Major.
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| Thirty years ago, Ambassador Timothy A Chorba (right), on the golf course, with then-President Bill Clinton. |
Ambassador Chorba was born on September 23, 1946, in Yonkers, New York, and was raised in New York City, where he graduated from Regis High School. (You can read more about his life here: https://www.americanambassadors.org/members/timothy-a-chorba)
He has visited Albania in the past at the invitation of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, and both councils have built a working relationship. During this interview, he highly valued the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, the quality of its composition, and its potential to help in the fields of diplomacy and security in the region.
Ambassador Chorba graciously accepted the invitation for an interview with the newspaper Illyria before his trip to the Balkans.
Ambassador Çorba, thank you for the opportunity for this interview with the "Illyria" newspaper. Throughout your life, you have been involved in international affairs, and for more than a decade, you have been serving as the President of the American Council of Ambassadors. What are some of the Council's contributions that make you proudest?
Among the Council's contributions that we are most proud of is our Annenberg Fellowship Program, which offers academic programs and ambassadorial mentoring for participants in the State Department's Collegiate Internship Program. This is an investment in today's most promising university students, from whom America's future leaders in the international arena will emerge. Another one of our programs is the Davis Fellowship, which offers mentoring as well as training at the University of Southern California for U.S. Foreign Service officers working on public issues.
We also have in Albania the Albanian Council of Ambassadors with whom it seems you have established a relationship of cooperation. What is your impression of this Council and what is their potential to help Albanian diplomacy and the cause of peace and progress in the region and beyond?
I have been impressed by the dedication and high quality of the members of the Albanian Council of Ambassadors whom I have met in Tirana and in the U.S. Ambassador Genci Mucaj, who has served as Albania's ambassador to Turkey and as an adviser to the President of Albania on foreign affairs, has been a tireless driving force in developing the organization. The Council members are highly educated, experienced, and sophisticated in diplomacy and international relations. The Council and its members have great potential to represent Albania's interests and to contribute to the cause of peace and progress not only in the Balkans but also beyond the region. Albania should be proud of this organization.
You have visited Albania before, but now you are embarking on a new mission in the region. What is the purpose of this tour? What will be the main itinerary and some of the personalities you will meet?
The purpose of our mission is to acquaint our delegation of former US ambassadors with the key political issues in the region as well as its history and expectations for the future of the three countries we will visit, namely Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. We expect to have meetings with our US embassies in those countries, as well as with their high-level political leaders and their resident diplomatic communities.
How would you assess the relationship between the United States and Albania? What would you suggest to those working to improve and strengthen this relationship?
These questions are somewhat premature, as our delegation does not yet have a deep understanding of Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, which we hope to gain from our mission in the region. Of course, the US values Albania's support as a NATO member for the organization's resistance to Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as for Albania's help in sheltering Afghan refugees during the tragic collapse of that country. Recently, I have noticed that American interest in visiting Albania has increased by 57% this year; it seems that word about Albania's pro-American orientation is spreading clearly among the American public.
On a personal level, if you have a little more time: Why did you choose to study and work on international issues? How important was the combination of your education with a law degree?
Your question is a very good one that makes me reflect on my life starting from almost sixty years ago, when I decided to pursue my university education at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Growing up in New York City, a truly global city in which at least eighty languages were spoken and where the cultures and ambitions of immigrants were the norm, my interest naturally developed to find my place in the wider world of international issues for my future. Georgetown University provided me with the opportunity to enter that world, coupled with excellent education in international relations and the German language, corporate internships in Stockholm and Munich, and a Fulbright scholarship at the University of Heidelberg.
What role can Albanian-Americans play in helping relations between the United States and Albania, Kosovo, and the "Albanian neighborhood" in the region?
Regarding postgraduate studies for a law degree at Harvard, it is important to remember that unlike the educational systems in most other countries, in the US you are not required to focus on a narrow field of law from the beginning of your university education. Instead, the four years of college offer a wide exposure to a variety of academic disciplines, including languages, history, philosophy, science, business, and literature. After college, you can choose to pursue a more focused three-year study in law. On the other hand, my legal education ultimately paved the way for me to work in the US Congress, the German Bundestag, as well as initially on Wall Street, before I transferred to Washington, specializing ultimately in international trade law representing the interests of clients from many countries both here in the US and abroad. My law degree from Harvard opened the way for my final appointment as US ambassador. It truly enabled me to "see the world," as a wise word goes.
What are some ways in which the context of international issues has changed since you started your career? What advice would you give to young people who aspire to join the diplomatic corps or dream of a career in law and international affairs?
The most noticeable change in international issues over the past fifty years has been the development of telecommunications and the evolution of the internet. For example, fifty years ago, domestic and international calls were expensive and there were no cell phones. In contrast, today with cell phones, communication around the world is available, instantly, and for free. With the internet, the entirety of human knowledge, history, and experience accumulated is available, at the tip of your fingers, truly at any moment. Similarly, with email and text messages, asynchronous interpersonal communication has exponentially increased communication efficiency.
I have noticed your connection to Yonkers and New York. There is a strong Albanian-American community in Westchester. Do you have any connection or experience with members of our community?
To be honest, I don't. I was born in Yonkers because my mother's obstetrician had privileges at Yonkers General Hospital, but shortly after I was born, they brought me to the Bronx where my parents lived, and my father was a surgeon and general practitioner. In the 1990s, we noticed Albanians settling in that part of New York City, but before that - and certainly when I was a young boy - Albanian immigration was not noticeable.
To paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, the most valuable role Albanian-Americans can play is to be good Americans and focus on their children's education. The more the Albanian Americans prosper economically here in the USA, the greater is the possibility that they will invest again in Albania, Kosovo and the "Albanian neighborhood", thus contributing to the economic development of the Balkans and the strengthening of these countries. On the other hand, economic improvement and prosperity increase commitment to democracy.