This new program aims to introducing future Greek American leaders to the core foreign policy issues important to the community and their impact on U.S. interests in the Southeastern Mediterranean region. It is open to Greek American and Cypriot American college students in good academic standing who are studying political science, international relations, history, and/or foreign affairs.

The nine students selected to participate were: Lia Seremetis, University of Cincinnati, OH; Lydia Pappas, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA; Irene Venetia Ginakakis, New York University, NY; Jason Demetrios Vergados, Merrimack College, Massachusetts; George Balafoutis, University of Chicago, IL; John Tyler Gazetos, University of Wisconsin at Madison; George Papadopoulos, DePaul University, Chicago, IL; Vangelis Katsikiotis, Catholic University, Washington, D.C.; and Nicholas Papacostas, American University, Washington, D.C.

The group was led on the trip by AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis and Director of Media Relations C. Franciscos Economides. “I was honored to have had this wonderful opportunity to lead such an exceptional group of Greek American students to Greece and Cyprus for a hands-on experience to introduce them to the foreign policy issues concerning the U.S. relations with Greece and Cyprus,” said Larigakis regarding the successful outcome of the inaugural student foreign policy trip. “The AHIF looks forward to continuing to offer this program as long as there is continued interest and support. And I feel certain there will be both,” he concluded.

The program began at the AHI headquarters in Washington, D.C. with a briefing from Ambassador Thomas J. Miller, president and CEO of the United Nations Association of the United States of America. Miller previously served as Ambassador to Greece and State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus. The students were also briefed by AHI Legal Council Nick Karambelas Esq. and Nick Larigakis.

After their arrival in Cyprus, the students went on a guided day trip to the ancient site of Kourion and archaeological excavations at Paphos. Then meetings were held with Marios Garoyian, President of the House of Representatives; Ambassador Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Technical Committee on Property Issues; George Iacovou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Presidential Commissioner; Androula Lanitis, Director of the Press and Information Division; and Yiorgos Christofides, Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The group also visited the Filakismena Mnimata (Incarcerated Graves) at the Central Prison, the Tymvos (War Cemetery) and Colocassides guard post (viewpoint of Nicosia buffer zone).

Also, a meeting took place with Archbishop Chrysostomos II, followed by a visit inside the United Nations controlled buffer zone where they visited the old Nicosia airport, an area that remains mostly unchanged since Turkish military forces invaded Cyprus in 1974.

On the students’ first full day in Athens, they visited the American College of Greece, DEREE to meet with Dr. Todd G. Fritch, Vice President for Academic Development and Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies and Nick Jiavaras, Executive Vice President, Office of Institutional Advancement and Administration. The visit to the college included a briefing by two professors and a tour of the campus. A lunch briefing was hosted later that day by Dennys Plessas, Vice President of Business Development Initiatives for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Lockheed Martin at the Aigli Restaurant at Zappeion, followed by a meeting with Professor Theodore Couloumbis, Director General of ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy) to discuss Greek foreign policy.

The group had plenty of time to tour the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum and towards the end of the trip to unwind and relax while on a very enjoyable private cruise to the island of Aegina on board the Eleutheria. This cruise was hosted by long-time AHI member Aris Drivas and Drivas Yachting.

While in Athens, the students met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from the ministry’s departments of European External Relations, NATO and the EU and were briefed by a representative of the North America department. Next they met with a representative from Greece’s main opposition party, PASOK. The representative, Dimitris Droutsos, serves as director of the Diplomatic Cabinet of PASOK and advisor to the PASOK leader George Papandreou on Foreign Policy and International Relations. That day came to a close with a reception at the Grand Bretagne Hotel hosted by the hotel’s General Manager Timothy Ananiadis.

An audience with Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all Greece, was also included in the program and on their final day the students returned to the Greek Parliament where they exchanged dialogue with the members of the Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs, chaired by Krinio Kanellopulu. Following the visit to Parliament, the students met with Marios L. Evriviades, Assistant Professor of International Politics at Panteion University, Athens, and then with Evripidis Stylianidis, Greek Minister of Transport and Communications.

For their final briefing, they met with U.S. Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard and other officials at the U.S. Embassy.