HAHC HONORS GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER BEFORE TOP U.S. POLICY-MAKERS

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 3,2005-Greek Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos was honored last week in Washington, D.C. at a dinner hosted by the Hellenic-American Heritage Council (HAHC), an organization made up of some of the largest and most powerful U.S. companies doing business in Greece. On April 26, on the eve of his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Minister Spiliotopoulos was honored at a small, roundtable dinner. Participants included senior U.S. Administration officials, key Senators and Members of Congress, representatives from major U.S. companies as well as the former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, General Joseph Ralston, as well as Greece's Ambassador to the U.S. George Savvaides.

Those from the U.S. Congress who participated included: the Senate Armed Services Committee's Ranking Democrat, Senator Carl Levin; the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee's Ranking Democrat, Senator Daniel Inouye; Senate Armed Services Committee member, Senator Jack Reed; House Armed Services Committee's Chairman of the Tactical Air and Landforces Subcommittee, Congressman Curt Weldon; the House International Relations Committee's Chair of the Middle East Subcommittee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; and House International Relations Committee, Member of the Europe Subcommittee, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter.

Administration officials participating included: the Defense Department's Acting Assistant Secretary for European and NATO Affairs, Jim Townsend, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management, John Vonglis, Director of European Policy Tony Aldwell, and Greek Desk Officer Patrick Graff; the State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, Laura Kennedy and Director for European Affairs, Scott Marciel; as well as the National Security Council's Director for Aegean, South Caucasus and Central Asia, Matthew Bryza

HAHC is an organization dedicated to building stronger U.S.-Greece ties through the promotion of commercial, cultural and defense relations. HAHC's Chairman of the Board is former Cabinet Member, former Undersecretary of State and former Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Edward Derwinski.