CONFERENCES AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Energy, and Climate Change; retired Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis, former chief, Hellenic National Defense; and Athanasios G. Platias, professor of Strategy, Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus. Apostolos Mangiriadis, news anchor for ERT, moderated the panel discussion, which was followed by a Q&A session with the audience of 140 people. AHI-Athens President retired Vice Admiral Vasilis Kyriazis delivered opening remarks and AHI President Nick Larigakis delivered closing remarks and thanked everyone for attending.

In addition to hosting timely panel discussions, AHI representatives are often asked to share their expertise and participate on panel discussions or make presentations on topics impacting the Greek American community and on foreign policy.

influences are ever-present. Larigakis added analysis about the current state of relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus. He also shared his thoughts on trends in diplomacy related to the role of innovation and new technologies. A video is available at www.ahiworld.org.

AHI President’s OXI Day Speech Drives Student’s Action

On November 1, President Nick Larigakis addressed a group of about 50 students from Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University, at a presentation hosted by the Georgetown Hellenic Association at Georgetown University. In his presentation, “OXI Day: Does the World Know?,” Larigakis emphasized the importance of educating others about Greece’s fervent stance against evil in WWII, and he provided an overview of U.S. policy in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Larigakis also urged students to share the story of Greek bravery and resistance toward the Axis in WWII to their school newspapers. He reminded students that this story of defiance and protection of freedom is often left out of the history books and classroom lectures. He argued that such an important piece of history must be remembered and honored.

President Nick Larigakis spoke at Ideagen’s February 23, 2022, Global Washington Roundtable on the topic, “The Current State of Eastern Mediterranean Diplomacy.” He shared his perspective on U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Greece, Cyprus, and the Eastern Mediterranean based upon his frequent trips to the region. He underscored the geostrategic importance of Greece and Cyprus to the interests of the United States and how they contribute to fostering peace and stability in a region where malign

Taking Larigakis message to task, Georgetown student Matthieu Forgeas wrote a thoughtful article on the importance of OXI Day and its parallels with Ukraine’s fight against Russia that the Georgetown University Review published.