American Hellenic Institute

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Contact Your U.S. Representative to Co-Sponsor House Resolution 187 Condemning Any Attempt to Use the Current Economic Crisis as a Means of Imposing a Settlement on the People of Cyprus
TO: AHI Chapter Presidents, Congressional Contact Team Leaders, Members and Friends
FROM: Nick Larigakis, AHI President
DATE: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Re: CONTACT YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CO-SPONSOR HOUSE RESOLUTION 187 CONDEMNING ANY ATTEMPT TO USE THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS AS A MEANS OF IMPOSING A SETTLEMENT ON THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS

 

BACKGROUND

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) introduced a resolution backed by the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) on April 26, 2013 that expresses the United States’ commitment to the reunification of the Republic of Cyprus and the establishment of a unified government on Cyprus that guarantees the human rights of all Cypriots and condemns any attempt to use the current economic crisis as a means of forcing the restart of negotiations or imposing a settlement on the people of Cyprus.

By adopting this resolution, the people of the United States, via the U.S. House of Representatives, will send a clear message that any attempt to use the current economic crisis as a means to impose a settlement on the people of Cyprus is condemned and that Cyprus has exclusive control of, and to right to exploit, its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.

STATUS

  • The legislation, H.Res.187, was introduced on April 26, 2013 by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). It has 7 co-sponsors as of April 29, 2013.
  • The bill currently rests with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The co-sponsors are:

  • Rep Grimm, Michael G. [NY-11] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-12] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-2] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-8] - 4/26/2013
  • Rep Titus, Dina [NV-1] - 4/26/2013

 

ACTION

Many of you have not yet contacted your representatives. We urge you to contact your Congressman and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.Res.187.

  • If you do not see your U.S. representative as a co-sponsor above, please contact his/her office today.
  • Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant.
  • Advise them you are a constituent, calling from [city or town] and that you’d like the representative’s support by co-sponsoring H.R.187.
  • Advise the Congressional staff person to contact Congressman Gus Bilirakis’s office to sign on as a co-sponsor.
  • If you do see your legislator as a co-sponsor, please contact him or her to offer your thanks.

 

TALKING POINTS

  • A settlement of the Cyprus problem through negotiations based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in a state with a single sovereignty and international personality, incorporating the norms of a constitutional democracy embracing key American principles, the EU acquis communautaire and EU Founding Treaty, UN resolutions on Cyprus, the pertinent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and of other European Courts.
  • Turkey still maintains an illegal occupation, in the form of 43,000 troops, of one-third of Cyprus.
  • Any attempt to use the current economic crisis as a means of imposing a settlement on the people of the Republic of Cyprus should be condemned.
  • Only Cyprus has exclusive control of, and the right to exploit, its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.
  • A solution in Cyprus should be Cypriot-led and not influenced or manipulated in any way by outside forces, as Ankara has tried to restrict the negotiations in the past – “by Cyprus and for Cyprus.”

CONTACT BY TELEPHONE

Contact your members of Congress by telephone by dialing the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202.224-3121.

CONTACT BY EMAIL/INTERNET

To write your representative, visit https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find your representative

NOTE: Please send a copy of your correspondence, or provide notice of a phone call made, to Georgea Polizos at georgea@ahiworld.org.

QUESTIONS?

For further information or questions, please contact AHI, (202) 785-8430, or email georgea@ahiworld.org.

THANK YOU!