FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Nick Larigakis
January 14, 2011—No. 4	(202) 785-8430

WASHINGTON, DC — American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President/COO Nick Larigakis met with the new U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Francis J. Ricciardone, on Thursday, January 13, 2011, at the U.S. Department of State.

“On behalf of AHI, I congratulated Ambassador Ricciardone on his new position,” said Larigakis.  “In addition, we discussed U.S. policy toward Turkey and its impact upon Greece-Turkey relations, the Cyprus issue, and religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  I also conveyed our concern about the wayward direction of Turkish foreign policy as being not in the best interest of the United States.”

Larigakis provided Ambassador Ricciardone with AHI’s Policy Statements, which present the case that Turkey is an unreliable ally of the United States, a copy of the AHI Foundation-sponsored documentary “Cyprus Still Divided: A U.S. Foreign Policy Failure,” and a March 1, 2010 letter AHI sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing concern about public comments made by now former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey that brought into question the Obama Administration’s policy as it relates to Cyprus.

“We look forward to working with Ambassador Ricciardone on all these issues,” said Larigakis.

The American Hellenic Institute is a non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

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For additional information, please contact Demetra Atsaloglou at (202) 785-8430 or at pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at https://www.ahiworld.org.