No. 5

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) will host its landmark Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary Hellenic Heritage Achievement and National Public Service Awards Dinner on April 13, 2024, 6 p.m., The Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C.

The honorees at the black-tie affair will be:

• Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, Founder, CEO, and Co-Chairman of AKT Development Corporation, who will receive the AHI Hellenic Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award, and

• Caterina Papoulias-Sakellaris, Retired Business Executive and Philanthropist, who will receive the AHI Hellenic Heritage National Public Service Award.

Fox News Channel Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

“We are excited about the unique program we have assembled for a milestone moment in our history, our golden anniversary,” President Nick Larigakis said. “And we are thrilled to celebrate it by honoring two outstanding Greek Americans. They have excelled in their careers and have set extraordinary examples as community leaders and philanthropists for us to emulate. We invite the community to join us as we look forward to celebrating the achievements of our honorees and our 50 years of service as advocates of US interests in Greece, Cyprus, within the Greek-American community, and within the East Mediterranean and Southeast Europe regions.”

Larigakis added, “I am also pleased to invite you to attend our concert performance in celebration of our 50th anniversary featuring world-renowned musical artist, Marios Frangoulis at the famous Warner Theatre on Friday evening, 8 p.m.”

Weekend Events & More Info: Frangoulis Concert, Policy Breakfast Briefing

In addition to the concert, AHI will host a breakfast and policy briefing on Saturday, April 13, 9:30 a.m., at the Capital Hilton.

• To find out more information, to become a sponsor, or to order tickets for the weekend’s events, please click here

• Concert tickets, please click here

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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent 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 us at (202) 785-8430 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.

No. 4

WASHINGTON, DC - American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President Nick Larigakis attended 118th Epiphany celebrations in Tarpon Springs, Fla., January 5 to 7, 2024.

President Larigakis attended church services at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral and participated in the procession that made its way to the Spring Bayou on January 6. Larigakis had the pleasure of being on the dock where His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America officiated over the ceremonial cross dive and blessing of the waters.

On January 5, Larigakis attended the annual AHEPA Epiphany dinner that included the participation of Archbishop Elpidophoros and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.

“It was a pleasure to witness and support this annual event and all that it represents to the community,” Larigakis said. “I commend the Greek American community of Tarpon Springs, city officials and event organizers on a successful event.”

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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent 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 us at (202) 785-8430 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.

No. 3

WASHINGTON, DC - In December 2023, Michael Rubin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, quoted in his Washington Examiner piece “Biden must face Kissinger’s Eastern Mediterranean mistake” a statement made by then-Senator Joe Biden to the American Hellenic Institute in 1989.

In his correspondence with AHI, Biden stated that “We cannot lose sight of the fact that the rights of Greek Cypriots have been trampled upon, and we must ensure that their claims to ancestral land and property seized during the 1974 invasion are not compromised. Finally, we must send a signal to Turkey that until it has removed every last soldier from Cyprus, it will never be recognized as a full member of the international community.”

The quote was provided to demonstrate Biden’s history of supporting the Republic of Cyprus in their efforts to achieve peaceful reunification of the area of their country illegally occupied by Turkey since 1974. However, as President of the United States, Biden has been criticized for not doing enough to address Turkey’s continual aggression in the region.

Rubin urged Biden “to lead a bipartisan policy revision” of U.S.-Turkey relations to prioritize the interests of the United States and rebuke the actions of Turkey that are contrary to this goal. 

He also criticized the policies of the late Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, which focused on “prioritizing short-term concessions” rather than achieving the long-term strategic interests of the United States. In contrast to Biden’s support for the Republic of Cyprus, Kissinger stated that “There is no American reason why the Turks should not have one-third of Cyprus" and that “The Turkish tactics are right — grab what they want and then negotiate on the basis of possession." Yet, as Rubin highlights, Kissinger “never explained why green-lighting Turkish aggression was an American interest.” 

It is clear that Kissinger miscalculated. Acting to prevent the invasion of the Republic of Cyprus would have averted the death of innocent civilians and the destruction of their homes. It also would have enabled the United States to better achieve their long-term regional interests in the East Mediterranean. History will remember that Kissinger’s failure to protect the Republic of Cyprus was also a failure to protect U.S. interests.

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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent 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 us at (561) 529-0306 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.

No. 2

ATHENS, GREECE - The American Hellenic Institute (AHI), in cooperation with the AHI-Athens Chapter, hosted the panel discussion, “AHI 50 Years of Service: The Role of the Greek American Community in Advancing U.S.-Greece Relations,” at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, December 13, 2023.

The program featured opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador George J. Tsunis and a panel discussion that featured a pair of former Greek Ambassadors to the U.S., Haris Lalacos and Alexandros P. Mallias. Constantinos Arvanitopoulos, Ph.D., professor of International Politics at Panteion University, Athens, moderated the panel discussion, which was followed by a Q&A session. AHI-Athens President Vice Admiral Vasilis Kyriazis (ret., H.N.) welcomed the audience and AHI President Nick Larigakis delivered closing remarks and thanked the program’s participants, attendees, and event sponsors.

In his welcome, Kyriazis shared the importance of AHI’s 50 years of service to the Greek American community and its achievements under the late Founder Eugene Rossides, and current president, Nick Larigakis, whose efforts Kyriazis described as being “unwavering.”

Ambassador Tsunis’ remarks touched upon the tremendous asset Greek American organizations and the community have been to the strengthening of U.S.-Greece relations, which remain at an all-time high. He also paid tribute to Eugene Rossides and his vision to form AHI as well as the ongoing leadership of the Institute through President Larigakis.

“I am pleased to be here to help launch the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of AHI and the legacy of Eugene Rossides,” he said. “Through his personal achievements in sports, law, and government service, he was an inspiration to thousands of Greek-Americans pursuing the American dream. And I congratulate Nick Larigakis for following in his footsteps and driving AHI into the future. AHI demonstrates the importance of the Greek-American community as a bridge between the United States and Greece, strengthening relations between two great allies.”

The ambassador spoke with pride about being a U.S. ambassador who comes from the Greek American community.

“My parents instilled in me the best of what the United States and Greece have to offer. They left Greece with nothing but hope and a strong foundation of Greek values,” Tsunis said. “They might not have survived after World War II were it not for the United States, and the Marshall Plan, through which the United States sent Greece over six million tons of food and supplies. It is an honor to be America’s most visible representative today in Greece, whose rebounding economy is on a path to grow three times faster than the European Union average over the next three years, continuing a remarkable comeback.

He also spoke about the diligent work taking place at the U.S. Embassy to deepen the strategic U.S.-Greece defense relationship and to attract U.S. investment, adding, “AHI has been a crucial part of the effort to strengthen U.S.-Greece relations for 50 years.”

Ambassador Lalacos, who served as secretary general at the Hellenic Minister of Foreign Affairs in addition to being a former ambassador to the U.S., offered his insight on what he described as the “remarkable effectiveness and impact” of the Greek American community despite its limited resources, especially in its numbers. He cited the community’s cohesiveness, high levels of education, and professional success of members of the community as factors contributing to its effectiveness. Ambassador Lalacos added the visibility of the community is elevated by the various sizes and scales of many Greek American organizations. He also touched on the excellent state of U.S.-Greece relations.

Ambassador Mallias called the American Hellenic community a “success story.” He concurred with Ambassador Lalacos, stating, “The Hellenic American Community is one of the smallest in number, yet one of the most dynamic and influential.” Ambassador Mallias recalled how he used to encourage Greek American organizations to “synergize” or work together because it offered a more amplified and focused message. He also paid his compliments to AHI, reflecting on the work of Rossides and Larigakis, and the Institute’s 50-year tradition of uniting the Greek and Cypriot communities in the United States. “As I used to say while in Washington, if AHI didn’t exist, we should have invented it,” he said.

In addition, the program featured President Larigakis presenting a video that highlights AHI’s 50 years of public policy research and advocacy for upholding the rule of law since Turkey’s invasion of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974.

AHI thanks the following sponsors for their support of the presentation and reception:

President’s Circle: Magdaline and Paun Peters, Ft. Worth, Texas

Chairman’s Circle: Aeroservices; AKT; and Jim & Ted Pedas, Washington, D.C.

Benefactors: Capital Product Partners, L.P.; EFA Group; Omega Industries, Inc.; George C. Economou & Associates, Athens; James H. Lagos, Springfield, Ohio; Navios Maritime Holdings, Inc.; Bill Mataragas, Chicago, Illinois

Sponsors: Enterprise Greece Invest & Trade; Hotel Grande Bretagne; Kapotas S.A.; Leon Andris, Washington, D.C.; International Propeller Club of the United States; K. Arvanitis S.A.; PEMA.

“We thank all our benefactors and sponsors that helped to make this event a success,” Larigakis said. “We especially are grateful to our President’s and Chairman’s Circle sponsors for their generosity and support. I would also like to especially thank our expert panelists for sharing their insights, and AHI-Athens Chapter President retired Vice Admiral Kyriazis for his participation and invaluable assistance in organizing a successful presentation.”

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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent 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 us at (561) 529-0306 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.