Top US Policymakers Focus on Cyprus

Over 40 of the top policymakers involved in the formulation of US policy toward Cyprus, Turkey and Greece will be participating in the 38th Annual PSEKA Cyprus Conference in Washington, DC May 9-11.

“PSEKA takes great pride in the extraordinarily high level of Congressional leaders from the Senate and House of Representatives participating in our annual Washington DC Cyprus conference, said Philip M. Christopher, President of PSEKA, The International Coordinating Committee—Justice for Cyprus.

He noted that participants include members of the leadership of those institutions as well as the leaders on foreign policy issues in both branches.

“Such access to so many top leaders gives us the invaluable opportunity to make them aware of important facts about Cyprus. We look forward to making them aware that Vladimir Putin’s brutal violations of law, humanity, and civilization that these leaders are so admirably opposing are precisely the violations Turkey is imposing on America’s ally Cyprus, and that we encourage them to give it appropriate attention,” Christopher said.

The President of PSEKA thanked the lobbying firm Manatos & Manatos for their work in bringing together this impressive number of US policymakers.

“We realize that this would not be possible without the extraordinary professional work of Manatos & Manatos and their network of successful Hellenes across the country with whom they coordinate. We thank them as well for their essential role in their annual White House meeting with every president every year for over 30 years, at which Cyprus is frequently discussed,” Christopher continued.

Powerful US policymakers join PSEka conference on Cyprus

Cyprus benefited from the rare fact that the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of each body’s committee with foreign policy leaders will be participating in the PSEKA conference, Christopher noted.

“In the Senate they include the great philhellene Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and Ranking Minority Member Jim Risch. And in this new 118th Congress there is a new Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman and new Ranking Minority Member in the House of Representatives – Congressmen Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks, respectively.

“The key members of the Leadership of the two branches of Congress focusing on Cyprus include US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as Deputy Leaders, Senator Dick Durbin, and Congressman Steve Scalise.”

Among the participants are Representatives Gus Bilirakis, John Sarbanes, Dina Titus, Chris Pappas, and Nicole Malliotakis. This year the meeting will also feature two former Republican Chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who will participate in a panel discussion about Cyprus.

“Although we are frustrated and disappointed with the lack of progress on Cyprus, we remain strong and united to the struggle of the Cypriot people for freedom and justice,” Christopher said.