NO. 72

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus completed its 14th year as 10 students from across the United States participated in the 17-day program held June 14 to July 1, 2022.  Following three days of briefings in Washington, the student group visited Cyprus first, June 18 to June 23, 2022.

“Since 1974, AHI has been at the forefront of advocating for the rule of law,” President AHI Nick Larigakis said. “Our itinerary in Cyprus is aimed to educate the community’s next generation of leaders about the Cyprus issue and the gross violation of international law that Turkey perpetrated then and continues to do so to this very day. The students also learned about the humanitarian cost of Turkey’s illegal invasion and 48-year occupation as well as its toll upon Cyprus’ cultural and religious heritage, which were pillaged.”

The group arrived in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, June 18. During their five-day stay, the students met with high-level government officials such as President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou, who sponsored a dinner for the students, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kornelio Korneliou. Mr. Koneliou tweeted: “Glad to welcome to Cyprus @CyprusMFA Cypriot and Greek American students, members of the @TheAHIinDC  accompanied by old time friend @NLarigakis  and discuss Cyprus Foreign Policy, The Cyprus Problem, The Eastern Mediterranean.”  Mr. Photiou also tweeted: “Very happy to meet with my good friend @NLarigakis and @TheAHIinDC #USA Universities students. Very productive discussion regarding #MissingPersons #HumanRights in #Cyprus.”

Also, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head of the American Department Yiannis Koukoularides and Energy and Maritime Policy Directorate Neophytos Constantinou briefed the students. Further, the students toured Archbishop Makarios III’s chambers and the Byzantine Museum, and attended a luncheon sponsored by His Beatitude Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II. Ambassador of Greece to Cyprus Ioannis Papameletiou led the students on a walking tour of the Green Line and the Ledra Palace Hotel to view parts of the illegally occupied area of Cyprus from across the checkpoints. He also hosted a dinner reception for them.

“Through a carefully curated itinerary, we gained real world experiences from meeting with high-level military officials, politicians, and ambassadors, knowledge that cannot just be learned in a classroom,” Participant Anastasia Staurulakis said. “For instance, in school I learned of the surface level affairs that the Republic of Cyprus faces, but upon visiting with government officeholders and seeing firsthand the stark contrast between the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” and the southern two-thirds of the Republic of Cyprus, it deepened my understanding of the challenges the Cypriot government and Greek Cypriot citizens face.”

On their first full day, the students visited Turkish-occupied Cyprus to gain firsthand experience about the area.

“I am determined to work with other Greek Americans to ensure that the dream of a unified Cyprus will never be forgotten,” Participant Melina Christodoulou said. “This foreign policy trip is allowing the younger generation to get involved and continue the ongoing fight for justice in Cyprus.”

To explore the humanitarian issue of the Missing Persons, the students visited the Anthropological Laboratory of the Republic of Cyprus where Special Associate to the Presidential Commissioner on the Missing Persons Xenophon Kallis briefed the students on the process of locating and identifying the remains of missing persons who were lost in the brutal Turkish invasion of 1974. They also visited the Old Nicosia Airport, where a retired airplane and what remains of the airport have been frozen in time for 48 years. This area is managed by the United Nations and a UN representative briefed the students.

“I gained exclusive access to some of the most important places and people in the Greek and Cypriot governments, learning from everything and everyone I came across, such as from the peacekeepers we met when we visited the UN-controlled buffer zone in Cyprus,” Participant Maria Fusca said. “That was a shocking once-in-a-lifetime experience I would never have dreamed of being able to have, and yet, thanks to the American Hellenic Institute, I was able to enter that area, and never forget what I learned there.”

Cyprus’ military capabilities were on display when the students attended a briefing and tour of the National Guard Headquarters by Lieutenant General Democritus Zervakis, chief of the National Guard of Cyprus. Lt. General Zervakis hosted the students for dinners at the National Guard Officers’ Club in Nicosia and the Officers’ Club in Larnaca. While in Larnaca, the students visited the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center, an independent agency of the Ministry of Defense, to learn about how Cyprus organizes the Cyprus Republic Search and Rescue (SAR) system to respond to aviation or maritime accidents. Lt. General Zervakis tweeted: “It’s been a pleasure hosting @TheAHIinDC and @NLarigakis at @NationalGuardCY HQ. Excellent questions by our #diaspora youth. Raised awareness on #Cyprus issues and #security challenges in the #EastMed. Congratulations to Nick and the whole delegation on enhancing CY-US relations.”

In addition, the students had an audience with U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Yaryna Ferencevych at her private residence. There, they received a briefing about the latest developments in the strategic partnership between the United States and Republic of Cyprus. The U.S. Embassy tweeted: “Charge d'Affaires Yaryna Ferencevych was delighted to speak with @TheAHIinDC Student leaders yesterday on their tour of Cyprus and Greece. Thanks to @NLarigakis for organizing and leading such a dynamic program.”

The group also gained a greater understanding of the shared U.S.-Cyprus security partnership with a visit to the innovative Cyprus Center for Land, Open-Seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS) Training Center, a U.S.-funded security training facility in Larnaca.

Students with a vested interest in business and commerce gained incredible insight from a presentation by PricewaterhouseCoopers titled, “Cyprus economy over the years and what makes Cyprus attractive as a business destination” at PwC’s offices. PwC also hosted a lunch for the group.

The students were also immersed in Cyprus’s cultural and natural history. They received a history lecture from Professor Titina Loizidou at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the tour of the Green Line, they visited the Guardhouse “Kolokasides” and received a briefing at the Makedonitissa Tomb where they paid their respects by laying a wreath at the military cemetery and war memorial.

Finally, the students had the opportunity to take in the beauty of Cyprus with a beach trip to Agia Napa.

“We were truly blessed with this amazing opportunity to meet with officials at the highest level throughout this trip,” participant Morgan Lilly said. “It was shocking to realize how little attention is paid to these important issues and the lack of awareness from the international community and the United States on these issues.”

About Our Participants

Melina Christodoulou is a junior and a Dean's List student at Drew University in Madison, NJ pursuing a BA in political science and a minor in communications.

Maria Fusca is a senior at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, where she is pursuing a BA in International Affairs and two minors in Sociocultural Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Communication.

Morgan Lilly is a junior and Dean’s list student at the University of Georgia where he is pursuing a double major in Political Science and International Affairs.

Zoe Logas is a rising junior in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, majoring in public policy with a concentration in defense policy and foreign policy, and minoring in history.

Brendan C. O’Connor is a junior and Dean’s List student at American University majoring in international studies with a minor in the Russian language.

Eleni Piliotis graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations. She will be starting her master’s degree for Security Policy Studies at The George Washington University.

Andreas Poulis is a junior at the American University studying international relations with a regional focus on Europe and a thematic focus on peace, global security and conflict resolution.

Natasia Mariah Raphtis is a junior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a dual degree in political science and international relations and a minor in modern Greek.

Anastasia Staurulakis is a senior at Tulane University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in accounting. She is a recipient of Tulane’s Merit Award.

Christopher Zrazik, a Dean’s List student and Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient, is a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University majoring in International Affairs, concentrating in Security Policy, and minoring in Public Policy.