On June 19, 2019, the United Macedonian Diaspora hosted a dinner for the newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia, Kate Marie Byrnes. The Ambassador and her Chief of Mission, Jennifer R. Littlejohn, attended the dinner along with distinguished guests, members and supporters of UMD. Among those in attendance were representatives from various industries, all of whom have strong connections to Macedonia, either through heritage or business relations. The industries represented include Waste Management & Environmental Protection, Macedonian product importing, a Macedonian tech company, a Macedonian Healthcare company, auto-manufacturing industry, finance industry, legal industry, the pharmaceutical industry and news media. Attendees had the opportunity to voice their opposition to the U.S. position on Macedonia’s name and the Prespa Agreement.

Dinner included a traditional spread of Macedonian cuisine catered by From Scratch and Macedonian wines from Stobi and Tikves wineries. After initial mingling and conversation, we opened up a Q & A session where guests and the Ambassador could have a more formal discussion about the country and her plans once she begins her term. The evening was a resounding success and we are so grateful for everyone in attendance for helping us to welcome the 6th U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia.