John Sarbanes presented with Leader award
An outstanding member of the Greek-American diaspora
US Congressman John Sarbanes was presented with the Leader award in Washington, DC on Monday, granted each year to an outstanding member of the Greek-American diaspora.
The presentation was made during a gala dinner hosted by “Hellas and Diaspora – The Future,” on the sidelines of the 5th Southeast Europe & East Med Forum, held in Washington, DC and co-organized by Kathimerini English Edition, Delphi Economic Forum, and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC).
The award was presented by Kathimerini’s Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas and Kathimerini English Edition’s Editor in Chief Tom Ellis, while Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen made an introductory speech.
Sarbanes has announced his retirement from politics, after 18 years of continuous service, which followed 36 years of his late father, Congressman Paul Sarbanes, who was a member of the US House of Representatives and later a Maryland state senator.
Sarbanes has announced his retirement from politics, after 18 years of continuous service, which followed 36 years of his late father
In total the Sarbanes have served for 54 years.
“If I’m going to look inside my family for the origins of the service ethos, then what feels right is to reach back even further to the first generation that came to this country. My grandfather [Spyros] left Greece in 1909, a teenager with no formal education who believed in the opportunity of America,” he said.
“Hellenism,” he said, “is rooted in the history of the Greeks, but it is bigger than Greek culture, it is part of the heritage of humanity,” he noted, stressing the importance of giving back to the community.
Washington sends strong message of support
Meanwhile, stressing Washington’s unwavering support, James O’Brien, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, underscored that “US commitment to Greece’s security is rock-solid.”
Speaking at the 5th Southeast Europe & East Med Forum, O’Brien noted that the maturity of Greece’s leadership, as well as Ankara’s understanding that a better relationship with Greece is beneficial, has resulted in the opening of communication channels between the two countries nations in the last year. He additionally highlighted Greece’s importance as a hub for the transportation of liquefied natural gas and the connection of NATO’s eastern flank.
Senator Van Hollen (D-MD), and one of the active members of Congress, said that there are tools to ensure that Turkey does not use the F-16s it has received against allies
For his part, Senator Van Hollen (D-MD), and one of the active members of Congress, said that there are tools to ensure that Turkey does not use the F-16s it has received against allies.
He also noted that it was Congress, not the US government, that succeeded in getting Turkey removed from the F-35 program when Ankara procured Russian S-400s.
Van Hollen noted that he did not know whether the US government plans to move forward under a plan that creates a balance of power that ensures Greece’s qualitative advantage over Turkey, but noted that the F-35 allocation reflects just that.
In his address, US Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis underscored the strategic advantages of the Alexandroupoli port in northern Greece. He said that the port serves as a vital link for material and military personnel reaching Estonia within nine days, a notably shorter timeframe than transit through the Turkish Straits. Tsunis highlighted that to date, 9,000 pieces of military equipment have been transported, with an additional 3,000 expected to pass through Alexandroupoli next month.
