“Greece, Cyprus and Israel's strategic location, natural resources and intellectual capital create a natural partnership to address economic, energy and counter-terrorism issues in the Middle East and Europe,” said Congressman Bilirakis.
“Through the Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance, we hope to highlight how the relationships between these countries and the United States are critical to maintaining economic stability and national security.”
The two Congressmen seized the opportunity in the closer ties that have recently been developed between Israel, Cyprus and Greece in the fields of energy exploration, technology and investments. As the CHIA was launching, in an Op-Ed for the Washington Times, both Congressmen urged the United States to support and encourage improved relations between the two countries as a vehicle for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“The American Hellenic Council applauds the initiative on behalf of Reps. Bilirakis & Deutch. In our recent meetings with Members of Congress from California, we encouraged them to join the bipartisan caucus and be updated on the most recent strategic developments in the Eastern Mediterranean” stated Alexander Mizan, Executive Director of the AHC.
The launch of the CHIA required a lot of effort on behalf of both the Jewish community and the Hellenic community in the United States. In particular, Endy Zemenides of HALC played a key role in fostering relations with the AJC that led to the creation of the new caucus.
