Former Greek Minister of State Stavros Papastavrou, met in Washington with Greek-American Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th Congressional District. Papastavrou arrived in the U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 5 for a series of meetings.
During their meeting the two politicians focused on geopolitical developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the priorities of the upcoming Trump presidency.
Congressman Bilirakis is a staunch opponent of Turkey’s illegal occupation of Cyprus and strongly advocates for the reunification of Cyprus on behalf of all Cypriots.
He supports the protection of religious freedoms globally and calls for an end to the persecution of religious minorities, including Coptic Christians in Egypt and Eastern Orthodox Christians in Turkey.
Regarding Turkey, the congressman stated that “Turkey continues to prove that it is an American ally in name only.”
He finds Turkey’s actions against the Kurds deeply troubling and believes that the U.S. cannot remain passive in the face of blatant human rights violations. Congressman Bilirakis also expressed his pride in Congress’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey.
Who is Gus Bilirakis
The son of Michael Bilirakis, a former federal Congressman of Greek heritage, was first elected to Congress on November 7, 2006, making him the longest-serving Greek-American Congressman.
Since 2015, 75 bills authored by Congressman Bilirakis have become law, earning him recognition as the most effective Republican legislator in Florida by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University.
