Avni Spahiu (born 12 March 1956) is a Kosovar

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and former television director. During the period between 2008 and 2012 he served as ambassador to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He was the

Republic of Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...

's ambassador to the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

from 2012 to 2019.

Biography

Spahiu was born in

Mitrovica, Kosovo Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar River, ...

, on 12 March 1956. He graduated from

University of Pristina The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the K ...

in 1978 with a degree in English literature. He obtained his master's degree in literature from the same university in 2004. He started his career as a journalist in the newspaper ''Rilindja'' in 1978 and was its editor-in-chief between 1994 and 1998. From 1999 to 2002, he was editor in chief of

Radio Television of Kosovo Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK; sq, Radio Televizioni i Kosovës, sr, Радио Телевизија Косова / ''Radio Televizija Kosova'') is the public service broadcaster in Kosovo. RTK operates two radio services broadcasting a dive ...

(RTK). Then from 2002 to 2008, he was director of RTK. In 2008 he was named as the Kosova's ambassador to the United States and remained in office until 2012. He was the ambassador of Kosova to Turkey between 2012 and 2019.

References

Living people Kosovan diplomats 1956 births University of Pristina alumni Ambassadors of Kosovo to the United States Ambassadors of Kosovo to Turkey Kosovan journalists {{Kosovo-bio-stub