AHIF Foreign Policy Students Conclude Washington Portion of Trip; Depart for Greece, Cyprus
No. 48
WASHINGTON - The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus began its 17th year as students from across the United States gathered for briefings and events in Washington, D.C., June 15 to 18, 2025, prior to departing for Cyprus. The 20-day program concludes July 4 when the students return from Athens.
“We’re excited to welcome such a talented group of students to our 17th annual foreign policy trip,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “Thanks to the AHI Foundation, these future leaders get a unique chance to dive into the foreign policy issues that matter to U.S. interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. They’ll kick things off in Washington with briefings and then head overseas for meaningful conversations with government officials and community leaders. It’s a powerful experience—seeing foreign policy in action and understanding developments as they happen.”
The program began on the afternoon of June 15 when the students arrived at Hellenic House where AHI Executive Director Zac Cotronakis and Legislative Director Alexander Christofor delivered a briefing.
On their first full day, June 16, the students received a morning briefing from President Nick Larigakis followed by briefings with Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Ekaterini Nassika and Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the U.S. Evangelos Savvas at each of the respective embassies. In the afternoon, George Washington University Department of History Ph.D. candidate Gregory Graves joined the students for a luncheon discussion. Afterwards, the students received a tour of the U.S. Capitol from the office of Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), which included a visit to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker’s Balcony, and other important locations in the Capitol. National Security Analyst Jack Dulgarian, a consultant who is an AHIF foreign policy trip alumnus, joined the group for dinner. He shared his expertise on national security matters in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East with them.
A White House tour headlined the students’ third day in Washington, June 17. They also received a briefing from Journalist Lena Argiri, who serves as the Washington, D.C. correspondent for Greek Public Broadcasting (ERT) and Kathimerini.
On their final day in the U.S. capital, June 18, the group received a briefing from geopolitical expert John Sitilides, principal at Trilogy Advisors, LLC, at the Hellenic House, before heading to the U.S. Department of State to meet foreign service officers who cover the Southern European region. Michael Kidwell, deputy director of the Office of Southern European Affairs and Marlene Stearns, desk officer for Cyprus, Greece, and Malta, presented a briefing to the group.
During the two-week program in Greece and Cyprus, the students will receive firsthand experience about U.S. foreign policy issues involving Greece and Cyprus. There will be meetings and briefings at American embassies, officials from various ministries of each country, including Foreign Affairs and Defense; military officers and parliament members, religious leaders, think-tank organizations, and members of academia and the private sector. In Greece, the students will also take a daytrip to visit Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, Crete, the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI), and NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC), as well as Salamis Naval Base, and receive briefings. In Cyprus, students will visit the Joint Rescue Coordination Center and the Cyprus Centre for Land, Open Seas and Port Security” (CYCLOPS).
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is a non-profit policy center and think tank founded in 1974 that promotes the interests of the United States in foreign affairs involving Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Southern Europe.
For media inquires, please contact us at (202) 785-8430 or pr@ahiworld.org.
For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at americanhellenicinstitute.org