THE NATIONAL COORDINATED EFFORT OF HELLENES (CEH)
JULY 25, Washington, D.C. – Leaders of the National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH) came to Washington, D.C. this week to lobby over 30 key U.S. policymakers on the occasion of the 34th commemoration of the July 20, 1974 invasion and occupation of Cyprus. CEH leaders brought these policymakers up-to-date on various aspects of the Cyprus issue and Cyprus settlement efforts – to prepare them for important support during the upcoming negotiation process. Many, if not all, expressed their desire to be helpful during this crucial stage for Cyprus. CEH leaders who participated in these meetings included: Philip Christopher, President, International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) and President of the Pancyprian Association of America; Andrew A. Athens, National Chairman, United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC); Andy Manatos, President, CEH; Nikos Mouyiaris, Executive Vice President, Pancyprian Association of America; Tasos Zambas, Alternate President, PSEKA; Endy Zemenides. President, Hellenic American Leadership Council; George Tsunis, Chairman/CEO, Chartwell Hotels; Zenon Christodoulou, President, Greek-American Chamber of Commerce; Michael Galanakis, Board Member, American Hellenic Council of California and Mike Manatos, Executive Director, CEH. Panicos Papanicolaou, President, Cyprus Federation of America, was unable to attend these meetings due to a last-minute business trip overseas. Andy Comodromos, President, Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce also participated in these meetings. These leaders began their Washington meetings with a strategy session with the Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States, Andreas Kakouris. These leaders wore, and asked all those policy-makers with whom they met to wear, black lapel pins that read “34 // 6/24/08” – these numbers represent the 34 years of illegal occupation of Cyprus, and the June 24, 2008 decision by the European Court of Human Rights unanimously finding Turkey guilty of human rights violations in Cyprus. A number of Members of Congress indicated that many in the Congress asked them what the numbers on these pins meant, and they responded, thus spreading this concept over dozens more U.S. policy-makers. One of the most productive meetings was an over-one-hour, in-depth working lunch with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Europe Subcommittee and the Founder and Chairman of the Turkish Caucus, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL). House Europe Subcommittee Staff Director Jonathan Katz also participated in this meeting. Others in the U.S. House of Representatives with whom these leaders met included: The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Ranking Member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); our leading advocates on the House Europe Subcommittee, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) on the Republican side and Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) on the Democratic side; from the crucial House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, the Chairwoman, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), senior Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), who is also a National Co-Chair of the Obama for President Campaign; the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Greek-American members of Congress John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Zack Space (D-OH), Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), whose family is from the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, Greece, and the likely next Greek-American Member of Congress, Congressional candidate Dina Titus (D-NV); Co-Chair of the Hellenic Caucus, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); long-time advocates, Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL); as well as Representatives Henry Brown (R-SC), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Bill Foster (D-IL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). In the U.S. Senate, these leaders met with: The U.S. Senate’s Assistant Majority Leader (#2 in the Senate Leadership), Member of the Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and a national Co-Chair of the Obama for President Campaign, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL); the “new Paul Sarbanes” of the U.S. Senate -- Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is a member of the crucial Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s European Affairs Subcommittee; and member of the Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and senior Republican Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). These leaders also met with several key Administration officials including: U.S. Ambassador-designate to Cyprus Mr. Frank C. Urbancic, Jr.; the incoming #2 at the U.S. Embassy in Greece, Deputy Chief of Mission, Deborah McCarthy; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Judith G. Garber; State Department Director for Southern European Affairs, Kathleen Fitzpatrick; State Department Director for Policy & Global Issues, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Nerissa Cook; State Department Greece Desk Officer & Regional Political Military Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Ilan A. Goodman. As well these leaders consulted with an individual intimately involved for decades in Cyprus settlement efforts, former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes.