The American Hellenic Institute calls for increased defence funding for Greece and Cyprus

The request to summation backing to Greece and the Republic of Cyprus successful the defence fund of the United States for fiscal twelvemonth 2027 is underscored by the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), successful grounds earlier the House of Representatives’ subcommittee connected nationalist information and overseas assistance.

According to the statement, AHI recommends circumstantial amounts for subject grooming and financing programs, noting that Greece and Cyprus are “reliable and strategically captious partners” of the US successful the Eastern Mediterranean. At the aforesaid time, it opposes immoderate simplification successful the applicable funds, stressing that they heighten interoperability and coherence of alliances.

Specifically, the Institute proposes astatine slightest $1.8 cardinal for the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme for Greece, $500,000 for Cyprus, $25 cardinal for the European Recapitalization Incentive Program (ERIP), and $6 cardinal done the Military Assistance Financing (FMF) programme for Greece. It besides calls for continued backing for the UN peacekeeping unit successful Cyprus (UNFICYP).

AHI notes that the Eastern Mediterranean remains captious to U.S. interests owed to geopolitical tensions, vigor developments, and threats to navigation. In this context, it characterizes the 3+1 practice strategy – the US, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel – arsenic a cardinal pillar of stableness and supports its organization strengthening done applicable legislation.

Referring to Greece, the Institute stresses the relation of our state arsenic a hub for subject and vigor operations, noting the value of infrastructures specified arsenic Souda and Alexandroupolis, arsenic good arsenic its publication to the vigor diversification of Europe done LNG and interconnecting pipelines.

In Cyprus, it underlines the strengthening of bilateral practice with the US, calling for the afloat lifting of the arms embargo and the enlargement of defence cooperation, portion reiterating enactment for a viable solution to the Cyprus problem.