Episode 3 – US Diplomacy in Eastern Germany – Then and Now w/ Timothy Eydelnant

Originally from Belarus, Timothy Eydelnant assumed duty as US Consul General in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia in July 2017. He previously served as Syrian humanitarian assistance coordinator for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration. Before that, he held various positions in Austria, Iraq, and Brazil.

In the first part of our conversation, Tim explained the US Mission to Mitteldeutschland, what makes it special, and what his job as the representative of the US government looks like.

We also talked about how he experienced the fall of the wall in the midst of making his way from the Soviet Union to the US … and how his life story prepared him to be a diplomat – or a bridge-builder, as he called it.

Finally, we talked about the current state of transatlantic relations between Germany and the US and what the future holds for this partnership in Mitteldeutschland.

Our conversation was recorded on October 2 at the US Consulate General in Leipzig.