AHI Applauds Hudson Institute Conference on Greece, Cyprus, and Israel

AHI Legal Counsel Participates on Energy Security Panel  

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) applauds a high-level conference held October 22, 2013 by the Hudson Institute titled, “Power Shifts in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Emerging Strategic Relationship of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.”

“I commend the Hudson Institute for organizing this important and timely conference that examined the significant political, economic and security developments in the Eastern Mediterranean,” said AHI President Nick Larigakis, who attended the event. “The conference served to raise a level of awareness in Washington about these developments, especially as they pertain to the emerging strategic relationship Greece, Cyprus, and Israel; energy security in the region, and the implications of Turkey’s reorientation to the East.”

The conference featured Ambassador Christos Panagopoulos, ambassador of Greece to the U.S.; Ambassador George Chacalli, ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the U.S.; U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance; and Eli Groner, minister for Economic Affairs, Israeli Embassy.  U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), former chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, intended to participate but attended the funeral of a colleague instead.  She did submit her remarks for the conference record.  

In addition, several representatives from the energy sector, Hudson Institute fellows, and AHI Legal Counsel Nick G. Karambelas, Esq., also participated.  Karambelas spoke on the topic “The Energy Security Changes of the Eastern Mediterranean” during the conference’s third panel of the day.

• Watch: Panel 1, Panel 2, and Panel 3, featuring AHI Legal Counsel Karambelas.
• Read: Remarks delivered by Congressman Schneider and published in The National Strategy Forum Review.
• Read: Remarks submitted for the conference record by Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen.
• Click here to view a complete conference agenda

Hudson Analyst: U.S. Policy in Region Lacking Concern

Furthermore, AHI welcomes an opinion piece authored by Seth Cropsey, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute titled, “Eastern Mediterranean gas finds,” published by the Orange County Register, October 25, 2013. Cropsey argues there is a lack of concern in United States policy toward the eastern Mediterranean especially as the region grows in economic importance with the discovery of significant energy finds by Noble Energy.  To protect these energy findings, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel have had to draw closer together with the de-secularization of Turkey and the fall of authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Syria, all of which contribute to uncertainty in the region, he argues.  The United States should “assist the friendly outposts of democracy in the region” by lifting an “anachronistic weapons embargo against Cyprus” that would allow the sale of patrol boats to Cyprus and by beefing up the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the eastern Mediterranean.

Cropsey concludes: “A Sixth Fleet with muscle would also go a long way toward re-asserting U.S. commitment in a region where Russia, China and Iran have been increasing their naval presence. U.S. policy may wish to “re-balance” toward Asia, but as NATO’s southern flank grows in strategic importance and the Eastern Mediterranean grows in economic importance, America’s status will suffer immeasurably by showing the world that we can only protect our vital interests one at a time.”

• Click here to read the commentary.

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

For additional information, please contact Georgea Polizos 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.