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OVER 55 KEY U.S. POLICYMAKERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS AND OTHER HELLENIC ISSUES AT 26TH ANNUAL PSEKA/CEH CONFERENCE
OVER 55 KEY U.S. POLICYMAKERS SHOW SUPPORT
FOR CYPRUS AND OTHER HELLENIC ISSUES
AT 26TH ANNUAL PSEKA/CEH CONFERENCE
-- Vice President Biden, Deputy Secretary of State Steinberg
Confirm Administration Focus on Hellenic and Orthodox Issues --
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Over 55 key U.S. policymakers, including US Vice President Joe Biden, participated in the 26th Annual Cyprus and Hellenic Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. May 25-27, 2010.
This conference once again -- unlike any other in our community and like select few of all ethnic communities in the U.S. -- engages large numbers of Senators, Members of Congress and Administration officials who actually formulate U.S. policy toward Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.
PSEKA and CEH, who sponsored this conference, brought together over 100 Greek-American leaders from across the country with 29 key Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 11 key U.S. Senators and over 15 key Administration officials from the White House and State Department.
> Vice President Biden and the second-ranking official at the State Department, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, led a total of over 15 senior officials from the White House and State Department who were involved in this conference.
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> This was the first time since he became Vice President that Biden met with national Greek-American community leaders to discuss US policy on Hellenic and Orthodox issues. This May 27 meeting at the White House complex lasted approximately 30 minutes.
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> Deputy Secretary Steinberg, who was in a key position when the Clinton Administration aggressively pushed the EU to accept Cyprus without a solution, was also a top foreign policy advisor to Democratic Nominee for President of the United States Michael Dukakis. On May 25, Steinberg was the keynote speaker at a luncheon at which he was honored with the Frizis Award. This award, named after Mordohai Frizis, the Jewish Greek hero who was the first high ranking Greek military officer to give his life in defense of freedom against the Axis powers in 1940, is awarded each year to a prominent member of the Jewish community in the US who has made significant contributions to Hellenic issues.
Some of the other key policymakers with whom Greek-American leaders met at this conference included:
From the U.S. House of Representatives:
* The Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee;
* 4 of the 7 Chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittees;
* Just under 1/3 of the members of the House Europe Subcommittee;
* A total of 12 members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee;
* The Chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee's State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee;
* Six of the "Greek-American" Members of Congress;
* The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues;
* A total of 29 of the top advocates for Hellenic and Orthodox issues in the House;
From the U.S. Senate:
* The Chair of the Senate European Affairs Subcommittee;
* Just under 1/3 of the members of the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee;
* Three members of the Senate Democratic Leadership, including the Assistant Majority Leader;
* Members of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee's State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee;
* Over 1/10 of all United States Senators;
* A total of 11 of the top advocates for Hellenic and Orthodox issues in the Senate.
Others honored at this conference included: The Cuban-American Members of Congress: Chairman of the DSCC and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL); House Europe Subcommittee member, Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX); Chairman of the Helsinki Commission and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Greek-American Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) [the 2010 recipient of the Paraskevaides Award] - both of whom were introduced by former Senator Paul Sarbanes; Greek-American Member of Congress Dina Titus (D-NV); posthumously, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), whose award was accepted by Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and long-time senior advisor to the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Alan Makovsky [the 2010 recipient of the Conalis-Kontou Award]. As well, the conference banquet was in honor of three long-time conference participants who sadly passed away since last year's conference: George Panichas, Lambros Papantoniou and George Hajifanis.
Officials from Greece and Cyprus who participated in this conference included Cyprus Government Spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou as well as the Ambassador of Cyprus to the U.S., Andreas Kakouris; Ambassador of Greece to the US Vassilis Kaskarelis; Members of the Hellenic Parliament Eva Kaili and Canadian Parliament James Karygiannis; the Mayors of occupied Famagusta, Cyprus, Alexis Galanos and Lefkoniko, Cyprus, Michalis Pilikos. As well, President of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots, Haris Sophoclides, participated in this conference.
CEH Board Members participating in this conference included: Philip Christopher, Andrew A. Athens, Andy Manatos, Peter Papanicolaou, Nikos Mouyiaris, George J. Tsunis, Michael Galanakis, Endy Zemenides, Mike Manatos, Tasos D. Zambas, Zenon Christodoulou, George Dovellos and Basil Simon.
CEH leaders included in their conference the heads of several other major Greek-American organizations including: AHEPA Supreme Vice President Nick Karacostas; SAE Coordinator of for the U.S. Ted Spyropoulos; and a representative from AHI.
