WASHINGTON (January 2, 2020)—The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), American Hellenic Institute (AHI), B’nai B’rith International, and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following joint statement:
Our organizations welcome today’s agreement between Greece, Israel, and Cyprus to proceed with the EastMed pipeline. The agreement demonstrates the significant progress the trilateral alliance has achieved in energy cooperation and the three countries’ leadership in the region to provide energy security. We also are pleased the three countries are meeting for a seventh summit in Athens and that bilateral meetings also will occur between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, respectively. We anticipate the summit will yield further prospects for advances across a multitude of sectors.
We applaud the commitment to fostering peace, security, stability, and shared democratic values and ideals, in the region by all parties. We will continue to lend our broad diaspora support and encouragement for advancing the trilateral alliance.
Background
In August 2011 and December 2012 AHEPA, AHI, B’nai B’rith International, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations co-organized roundtable discussions in New York City between leaders of the American Jewish and American Hellenic communities.
In January 2018, the four organizations completed their third Leadership Mission to Israel, Cyprus and Greece. A fourth mission will occur this month. The groundbreaking inaugural mission to the three countries took place January 2014 and led to diaspora support for the tripartite, greater understanding between our communities, and the greater recognition of our common values, intents, and aspirations.
In December 2018, the organizations co-sponsored an international conference held in Jerusalem titled, “New Realities in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
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