Over 40 US Foreign Policymakers at the 38th Annual PSEKA Conference

By NEO Magazine on July 30, 2023

The most consequential foreign policy makers in the United States Congress from both parties participated in the 38th Annual Cyprus and Hellenic Leadership Conference, held earlier this summer as over 100 Cypriot and Greek-American leaders converged on Capitol Hill. The conference was hosted by PSEKA and its President Philip Christopher and co-hosted by many of the top national Greek-American organizations including: AHEPA, AHI, CEH, HALC, FCAO, HANC and the US-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce. The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides was represented at this important conference by Cyprus Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

Both the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and James Risch (R-ID), and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), addressed conference participants and turned the focus on Cyprus for a day.
In addition, the Chairs of the Senate and House Europe Subcommittees, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Congressman Thomas Kean (R-NJ), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and the highest-ranking Democratic officials in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also spoke, along with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Senate Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).

(L-R) PSEKA President Philip Christopher, Cyprus Ambassador Marios Lysiotis, Congressman Chris Pappas, Cyprus Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Mike Manatos, AHEPA Board Chair Nick Karacostas; PHOTO: BILL PETROS

Former Chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) also spoke at length with conference participants during their panel, The Cyprus Issue – Then and Now.
These leaders from both parties and branches of Congress were joined by dozens of their Senate and House colleagues who are key to the formulation of U.S. policy on Cyprus, Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate and spent numerous hours speaking about and listening to the many elements that demonstrate Cyprus’s importance to the United States. Chairman of the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) met with conference participants as well.

From the Biden Administration, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan received the “soil award.” Because his international trip was extended, he was not able to return to Washington in time to attend the conference. He plans to soon meet with a delegation of community leaders to receive this award. In addition, the State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Erika Olson, Director and Deputy Director for Southern European Affairs, Joshua Huck and David Galbraith, as well as Deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden, Jeff Prescott attended.
At the Conference dinner U.S. Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis was honored with the Athens/Livanos Award, while Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs Jessica Lewis was honored with the Frizis Award.

Former Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman, former US Ambassador to Greece Tom Miller, and former Assistant Secretary of State Marie Royce also attended.

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