AHI Submits Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommittee on FY2015 Foreign Aid to Southeastern Europe, Eastern Mediterranean

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) submitted testimony to the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs on the Obama Administration’s foreign aid proposals for FY2015 on April 4, 2014.

In the best interests of the United States, AHI’s testimony opposed:

1. any military assistance the administration will request for Turkey until Turkey removes its troops and illegal Turkish settlers from Cyprus;
2. aid the administration will request for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM); and
3. any reduction that might be introduced in the aid levels for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

In addition, the testimony stated United States foreign assistance will be helpful if appropriated toward the implementation of some of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) proposed by the Republic of Cyprus, for example, the Famagusta CBM package, which are vital to sustain and uphold the positive momentum created by the resumption of the peace negotiations on the island aimed at its reunification.

“It is vital to ensure the Greek American community’s positions on American foreign aid to this region are submitted for the public record via the subcommittee’s acceptance of written testimony, especially in a challenging budgetary environment,” President Nick Larigakis, who authored the testimony, said.  “We thank the subcommittee for the opportunity to submit our testimony which is presented with the best interest of the United States in mind.”

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is chaired by U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX).  U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), who is the ranking member of the full appropriations committee, is also the subcommittee’s ranking member.

• To read AHI’s testimony, please click here. (38KB PDF)

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.

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For additional information, please contact Georgea Polizos at (202) 785-8430 or at [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at https://www.ahiworld.org and follow us on Twitter @TheAHIinDC.