January 12, 2010

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis presented her credentials to the President of the Republic of Hungary, László Sólyom on January 11

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis presented her credentials to the President of the Republic of Hungary, László Sólyom on January 11, shortly after she was sworn in to office by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Before travelling to Budapest she met Ambassador Béla Szombati in Washington, D.C.

In her statement to the President she emphasized the excellent bilateral relations between our countries: „I feel proud and fortunate to be the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. The United States and Hungary have forged a strong friendship and enjoy excellent bilateral relations. There are one-and-a-half million Americans with Hungarian ancestry and the Hungarian-American community is a vital part of American society.

In the 20 years since Hungary changed to a democratically-elected government, it has become a valued NATO ally and an important member of the European Union. Our countries have worked together on a wide range of issues around the world. Today the United States stands with Hungary as a partner and friend, ready to tackle security issues, global challenges, and a wide range of common concerns.”
	Previously Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis made career as a prominent businesswoman. Her previous career can help to sensor the potentials of assisting further business and trade developments between Hungarian and American companies – the United States being among the biggest investors and trading partners of Hungary.

Ambassador Tsakopoulos Kounalakis graduated from Dartmouth and earned her MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Kounalakis and her husband, Markos Kounalakis, established the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis lecture series at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, they established the Eleni and Markos Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair in Hellenic studies at Georgetown University and the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair at Stanford University.

She also served as a trustee of Robert Redford’s Sundance Preserve and on the Conservation Fund’s National Forum on Children and Nature.