Greek and Cypriot Officials at the 24th PSEKA Conference

Washington, D.C.- Greek Minister of Finance George Alogoskoufis and Cypriot Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou will be honored at the banquet of the 24th Annual Cyprus, Hellenic and Orthodox Issues Conference in Washington, D.C., from May 21-23. The conference will also honor AHEPA for its contributions to the progress of the Greek American Community and its struggle for our national issues and promoting Hellenism.

The conference begins on Wednesday morning, with a strategy session at the Willard Hotel. Mr Stefanou will deliver to the delegates an important briefing on the latest developments in Cyprus.

Later in the afternoon the delegates will have the opportunity to be briefed at the State Department by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried on the US policy regarding Cyprus, Greco-Turkish relations, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Macedonian issue.

During the three day conference the more than 100 representatives of leading Greek American organizations will have the opportunity to meet with more than 35 key members of Congress. Among the dignitaries from Greece will be, Nikolaos Tsiartsionis, Chairman, Permanent Inter-Party Parliamentary Committee on Greeks Abroad, Demetri Dollis, Senior Political Advisor for PASOK President George Papandreou and SAEʼs world President Stefanos Tamvakis.

Last year the two leading Democratic Presidential hopefuls, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama presented their views on the Greek national issues during a special event at the 23rd Conference. This year, the highlight of the Congress will be the promotion of Greek Americans who will run for the U.S. Congress in various states. These are, Jane Mitakides (D-OH), •Dean Scontras (R-ME), Dina Titus (D-NV) and Jim Trakas (R-OH).

This yearʼs “George Livanos Award will be offered to the three Greek American Congressmen who got elected in 2006. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Zack Space (D-OH)

Finally, the “Frezis Award” will be given to Senateʼs Armed Services Committee Chairman, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and the “Paraskevaides Award” to Senateʼs Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE).

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had invited to be honored at the Conference but she will be traveling outside the United States.

THE PROGRAM

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
10:30 a.m. Registration begins
[Willard Inter-Continental Hotel (1401 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 202-628-9100), Nest Room on the Mezzanine Level (one floor below the lobby)]

11:00 a.m. - Briefing session and opening remarks (lunch served)

3:00 p.m. [Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Nest Room, Mezzanine Level,]

• 12:30 p.m. Important briefing by Cyprus Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou on the latest developments in Cyprus.

4:00 p.m. - State Department meeting

5:00 p.m. [Department of State, 2201 C Street, N.W., Loy Henderson Conference Room]
Speakers:
• [Invited] Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte
• Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried

7:00 p.m. – Welcoming buffet reception hosted by the Ambassador of Cyprus and Mrs. Andreas Kakouris

9:00 p.m. [Cyprus Ambassadorʼs Residence, 1825 24th Street, N.W.]
Honoree: [in absentia] U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Ronald Schlicher

Thursday, May 22
8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and meetings with key Members of Congress

10:00 a.m. [“Rayburn Gold Room” -- 2168 Rayburn House Office Building]
Honoree:
Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ), House Foreign Affairs Committeeʼs Europe Subcommittee

10:15 a.m. – Meetings with key Members of Congress

11:30 a.m. [2255 Rayburn House Office Building]
Honoree:
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Foreign Affairs Committeeʼs Europe Subcommittee

12:30 p.m. – Lunch honoring Greek-American Members of Congress with the Livanos Award
[385 Russell Senate Office Building]
Recipients of the 2008 Livanos Award:
• Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
• Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD)
• Congressman Zack Space (D-OH)

1:30 p.m. Meetings with key U.S. Senators

3:00 p.m. [385 Russell Senate Office Building]
Honorees:
• Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) [2008 Frizis Award Recipient]
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) [2008 Paraskevaides Award Recipient]
o [Invited] Presented by Efthyvoulos Paraskevaides

7:30 p.m. Banquet
[Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Mezzanine Level, Pierce Room]
Honorees:
• Greeceʼs Minister of National Economy and Finance George Alogoskoufis
• Cyprus Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou
• AHEPA

Friday, May 23

9:00 a.m. Breakfast
[Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Mezzanine Level, Nest Room]
Honorees:
• Jane Mitakides (D-OH) for U.S. Congress
• Dean Scontras (R-ME) for U.S. Congress
• Dina Titus (D-NV) for U.S. Congress
• Jim Trakas (R-OH) for U.S. Congress
• Nikolaos Tsiartsionis, Chairman, Permanent Inter-Party Parliamentary Committee on Greeks Abroad
• Demetri Dollis, Senior Political Advisor for PASOK President George Papandreou

10:00 a.m. Presentation
[Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Mezzanine Level, Nest Room]
“Forgotten Memories in Cyprus: The Story of the Internment of 53,000 Jewish refugees in Cyprus
by the British, 1946-1949” by Susan J. Drucker, Hofstra University and Gary Gumpert, Queens College

11:00 a.m. Closing Strategy Session
[Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Mezzanine Level, Nest Room]

**** Registration will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., 202-628-9100) in the Nest Room on the Mezzanine Level (one floor below the lobby level). And, the opening briefing session and opening remarks will run from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., during which lunch will be served.