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PSEKA CYPRUS CONFERENCE LOBBIES 37 KEY SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- JUNE 10, 1997

At perhaps the most crucial time this year for the Cyprus issue on Capitol Hill, over 120 Greek-American leaders and Cypriots from around the world lobbied 37 key senators and members of Congress. These meetings with those senators and members who serve on the key committees and subcommittees that play a major role in the formulation of U.S. policy toward and aid to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey took place last week at the Eighth Annual PSEKA Cyprus Conference in Washington, D.C.

House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) was the first member of Congress to address conference participants on June 5. Other key members of Congress who met with conference participants included: from the House International Relations Committee, chairman Ben Gilman (R-NY) and ranking Democrat Lee Hamilton (D-IN), as well as committee members Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Walter Capps (D-CA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), and Brad Sherman (D-CA).

From the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, which will be voting on U.S. aid to Turkey, Greece and Cyprus in the next few weeks, participants met with: ranking Democrat Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and committee members Michael Forbes (R-NY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), John Porter (R-IL), and Esteban Torres (D-CA). Former subcommittee member and current member of the full Appropriations Committee, Peter Visclosky (D-IN), also met with participants.

From the House National Security Committee, participants met with Congressmen Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Greek-American Mike Pappas (R-NJ). Others addressing the conference included: co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, Representatives Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Greek-American George Gekas (R-PA); former members of the House International Relations Committee, Representatives Michael McNulty (D-NY) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH); as well as Representatives Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) and Tom Manton (D-NY).

Conference participants also honored House International Relations Committee member Brad Sherman (D-CA) and House National Security Committee member Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) with a plaque containing an actual piece of the barbed wire that divides the island. This plaque was presented to these key friends of Cyprus on behalf of the people of Cyprus for their efforts to help remove the barbed wire that has divided the island for 23 years.

For more information, please contact Mike Manatos at (202) 393-7790.