The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is an advocacy organization and policy center founded by

United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury is one of several positions in the United States Department of the Treasury, serving under the United States Secretary of the Treasury. History According to the U.S. statute, there are eight Assis ...

Eugene Rossides in 1974. Its purpose is promoting United States foreign policy interests involving

Southern Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

and the

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

, with a focus on countries including

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

, and

Türkiye Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and ...

History

The American Hellenic Institute was created on August 1, 1974, by United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Eugene Rossides in response to the Turkish invasion of the Republic of Cyprus. In its advocacy for a U.S. response to the invasion, AHI argued that Turkey had violated the US Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and Foreign Military Sales Act by using U.S. weapons for actions other than legitimate self-defense purposes. Under continued pressure from AHI, Congress passed an arms embargo on Turkey in December of 1974. That same month, AHI initiated a $25 million congressional aid package to the Republic of Cyprus. Throughout its over half a century of advocacy, AHI expanded beyond promoting U.S. policy regarding the invasion of the Republic of Cyprus and has since evolved into a standard foreign policy advocacy organization, with a focus on Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Associated Organizations

Other groups include: *American Hellenic Institute Foundation, Inc. (AHIF, a non-profit think tank created in 1975)

Notable Members

* United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Eugene Rossides, founder of the American Hellenic Institute. Rossides received the Homeric Award in January 2008 from the Chian Federation, an organization of Greek-Americans from the island of

Chios Chios (; , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greece, Greek list of islands of Greece, island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, tenth largest island in the Medi ...

, in honor of his achievements in promoting United States interests in Greece and supporting human rights. Rossides was a lawyer at

Rogers & Wells Rogers & Wells was an international law firm founded in New York City in 1873. After several name changes, it was renamed for William P. Rogers and John A. Wells. Firms that merged with it include Dwight, Harris, Koegel & Caskey of New York. ...

. *Nick Larigakis, President and CEO of AHI.

Regions of Focus

AHI has been a part of many political activities and lobbying actions to promote U.S. foreign policy interests regarding Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, primarily involving countries including

, the

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

, and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. AHI has also been involved in promoting U.S. policy interests involving countries in

West Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

, such as

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, mostly regarding the U.S. response to Türkiye's involvement in the

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbai ...

. In addition to specific regions, AHI also focuses on promoting U.S. foreign policy interests related to the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. AHI frequently partners with

Jewish American American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, or religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of American Jews identify as Ashkenazi, 3% id ...

and

Armenian American Armenian Americans () are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in Russia. The first major wave of Armenian immig ...

lobbying groups to promote policy related to U.S. interests in Israel and

. This has included the Anti-Defamation League (ADL),

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International ( ; from ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish service organization and was formerly a cultural association for German Jewish immigrants to the United States. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the se ...

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP; commonly Presidents' Conference) is the umbrella organization for the American Jewish community. Comprising 53 national Jewish organizations across the political spectrum, ...

, the

American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a civil rights group and Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the wi ...

(AJC), Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA),

Foundation for Defense of Democracies The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a Neoconservatism, neoconservative 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) non-profit think tank based in Washington, D.C., United States. It has also been described as a pro-Israel, anti-Iran lobby gr ...

(FDD), the

Armenian Assembly of America The Armenian Assembly of America () is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The organization aims to "strengthen United States/Armenia relations, promote Armenia's d ...

, and others.

Major Activities

Policy Advocacy

AHI has been involved in the creation of the following policies and initiatives: 1974: An arms sale embargo on Turkey following its invasion of the Republic of Cyprus. A $25 million Congressional aid package to the Republic of Cyprus. 1989: Following discussions on the topic of the occupation of the Republic of Cyprus, AHI received a letter from then-Senator

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

stating "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." 1998: Section 2804 of the FY1998 Omnibus Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, which "Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should use its influence to suggest that the Government of Turkey: (1) recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate (in Turkey) and its nonpolitical, religious mission; and (2) reopen the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Halki Patriarchal School of Theology." 2024: A letter from Members of Congress to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and

Director of National Intelligence The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a Cabinet of the United States#Current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials, cabinet-level Federal government of the United States, United States government intelligence and security official. The p ...

Avril Haines to request a classified briefing on Turkey's support of Hamas and other US-designated terrorist organizations.

Congressional Commemorations

AHI facilitates multiple annual congressional commemorations in conjunction with the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, including the yearly Congressional Commemoration of the Invasion of the Republic of Cyprus and the Congressional Salute to Greek Independence Day.

Conferences and Seminars

In order to provide education on its policy areas to lawmakers and stakeholders, AHI regularly hosts conferences with panels that typically includes members of the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

, the

U.S. National Security Council The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House, it is part ...

, the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

, and various academic institutions.

Policy Areas

Defense Cooperation

The most active area of policy advocacy of AHI involves defense cooperation between the United States and Greece, the United States and the Republic of Cyprus, and various multilateral structures, including NATO. AHI provides annual testimony to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee and the

Senate Appropriations Committee The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committ ...

regarding defense cooperation in the Southern European and Eastern Mediterranean regions. This includes topics such as International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF). AHI also publishes fact-sheets and resources guides on the defense cooperation between the United States and Greece and between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus for the use of Members of Congress and their staff. AHI specifically highlights the benefits of U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay and the Hellenic Crete Naval Base at

Souda Bay, Crete Souda Bay () is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greece, Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the ...

. This base features the only deep water port in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea that is suitable and capable of maintaining the largest aircraft carriers. AHI also promotes the strategic importance of Crete hosting the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (ΝMIOTC) and the

NATO Missile Firing Installation The NATO Missile Firing Installation or NAMFI (, "Crete Firing Range") is an extensive missile firing range located at Souda Bay on the island of Crete, Greece. History NAMFI was established in 1967 as a NATO training facility for Air Defence Sy ...

(NAMFI).

Energy Development

AHI also has done significant advocacy regarding U.S. policy toward energy development in the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes supporting energy production initiatives that would counter

Russia in the European energy sector Russia supplies a significant volume of fossil fuels to other European countries. In 2021, it was the largest exporter of oil and natural gas to the European Union, (90%) and 40% of gas consumed in the EU came from Russia. The Russian state-own ...

. A key policy in this area includes advocating for U.S. protection of the

exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

(EEZ) of

and the

, which has come under repeated dispute and disruption from Turkey.

Other Issues

AHI has been a longtime supporter of the United States recognizing genocides committed by Turkey, specifically the

Greek Genocide The Greek genocide (), which included the Pontic genocide, was the systematic killing of the Christian Ottoman Greek population of Anatolia, which was carried out mainly during World War I and its aftermath (1914–1922) – including the T ...

, including the Pontic Genocide, and the

Armenian Genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

. In 2019, the United States Congress officially recognized all such genocides. AHI has provided testimony at the state legislature level to encourage the adoption of the Greek Genocide in genocide education curriculums.

Media Coverage

Advocacy work by AHI has been covered by mainstream U.S. media, including ''The Washington Post'', ''Time, CNN, The Hill'', and ''Politico.''' Additionally, AHI is covered by Greek American media such as ''To Vima (partnered with the Wall Street Journal), Ekathimerini,'' and ''the National Herald''.

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Organizations established in 1974 Cyprus–United States relations Greece–United States relations Ethnicity in politics Turkey–United States relations Foreign policy lobbying organizations in the United States 1974 establishments in the United States Organizations based in Washington, D.C.

History

Associated Organizations

Notable Members

Regions of Focus

Major Activities

Policy Advocacy

Congressional Commemorations

Conferences and Seminars

Policy Areas

Defense Cooperation

Energy Development

Other Issues

Media Coverage

See also

References

External links