AHI FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS & INITIATIVES

Annual AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece, Cyprus a Success

The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus completed its 14th year as nine students from across the United States participated in the program held June 14 to July 1, 2022. The student trip visited Cyprus, June 18 to 23, and Greece, July 1 to 8, following three days of briefings and events in Washington, D.C.

“Through our AHI Foundation, we are pleased and proud to lead an exceptional group of the community’s next generation of leaders on our fourteenth annual college student and foreign policy trip to Cyprus and Greece,” President Nick Larigakis said. “It was rewarding to see them gain firsthand experience about the foreign policy issues that concern U.S. relations with Greece and Cyprus.”

During the two-week program in Greece and Cyprus, the students received firsthand experience about the foreign policy issues affecting Greece and Cyprus, their relations with the U.S., and the interests of the U.S. in the region. In Greece, they gained invaluable insight on Greece’s foreign policy direction and military capabilities by experiencing the value of Greece’s contributions to security that included a daytrip to Souda Bay, Crete, on June 27. The Cyprus portion of the trip brought Cyprus’ history to life and included the students learning about the humanitarian issue of the Missing Persons and gaining an understanding of Cyprus’ military capabilities. Prior to leaving for overseas, the students received briefings on Capitol Hill, at the U.S. Department of State, and at the embassies of Greece and Cyprus in Washington, D.C.

Overall, meetings and briefings in each country were held at various ministries, including Foreign Affairs. At military headquarters installations, including NATO facilities at Souda Bay, they met with high-ranking military officers and toured and experienced military equipment. The students also met with parliament members, political and religious leaders, think-tank organizations, and members of academia and the private sector.