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AHI Sends Letter to Biden Reflecting on Presidency, Encourages Action in Remaining Days

© PHOTO: GANP/Dimitrios Panagos

WASHINGTON, DC –

On November 25, Nick Larigakis, President of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden which reflected on the tenure of his presidency as related to issues in Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, along with his Administration’s role in U.S. relations with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus.

While the letter congratulated President Biden on strengthening U.S.-Greece and U.S.-Republic of Cyprus relations, especially in regard to improving strategic cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, the letter also criticizes his lack of action on resolving the occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and his weak approach to addressing actions by Turkey that undermine U.S. regional interests.

The letter reminded President Biden that in 1989, as a U.S. Senator, he wrote to AHI stating that the United States “must send a signal to Turkey that until it has removed every last soldier from Cyprus, it will never be recognized as a full member of the international community.”

The letter also referenced President Biden’s description of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an “autocrat” that the United States needed to “take on and defeat” in 2019 while campaigning for the U.S. presidency.

The letter encourages President Biden to use his remaining days in office to stand by the commitments he previously made as a Senator and while campaigning for office. In addition to imploring President Biden to hold Turkey accountable for their actions and increase U.S. commitment to addressing the occupation of the Republic of Cyprus, it also urges for his Administration to push for the Republic of Cyprus to become a “NATO partner,” address expanding challenges to religious freedom in Turkey, and counter Turkey’s increasing cooperation with adversarial nations like Russia and Iran, its support of Iran-backed terrorist organizations such as Hamas, and its opposition to Western multilateral structures by its request to join BRICS.

To read the letter click here.

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