WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President Nick Larigakis participated in a delegation of Greek and Cypriot American organizational leaders for a series of meetings with Biden administration officials and members of Congress to address the community’s policy agenda.
“AHI is engaging proactively with the Congress and the administration at a critical time when the Administration is pushing for the sale of F-16s to Turkey, which we strongly oppose”, President Larigakis said. “We discussed other important policy matters, including, of course with the upcoming 48th anniversary, the continued occupation of the Republic of Cyprus. We appreciated the time and interest of the policymakers, and we will continue to press Washington on these priorities”.
The need to lift the full arms embargo on Cyprus due to Cyprus meeting the two requirements mandated by the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act and Turkey’s provocations throughout the region that affect all U.S. allies and strategic partners also were discussed at length, added Larigakis.
AHI President Larigakis and the delegation met with the following top-level representatives from Congress and the Administration: Dr. Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Senior Director for European Affairs, Dr. Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI), House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Dina Titus, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD), Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senate Foreign Relations & Appropriations Committees.
In addition to President Larigakis, the delegation included: Philip Christopher, President, PSEKA, Tasos Zambas, Alternate President, PSEKA, Andy Manatos, CEO, Manatos & Manatos, Mike Manatos, President, Manatos & Manatos, Savas Tsivicos, Supreme Secretary, AHEPA, Zenon Christodoulou, Chair, Hellenic and Cypriot Affairs Committee, AHEPA, Dr. Panayiotis Baltatzis, General Secretary of Hellenic American National Council (HANC).
“I sincerely thank Mike Manatos for organizing the series of meetings,” Larigakis said. “The community was well-represented.”
