“We applaud his many accomplishments in the foreign service at important posts, including NATO and at the Department of State. His appointment to critical positions demonstrates his exceptional diplomatic skills and the faith and reverence our country’s leaders have in his abilities.
“Moreover, Ambassador Burns worked closely with many AHEPA Supreme Presidents, leaders of our community, and members of Congress, to address issues that affect us as Americans of Hellenic descent in a region of the world, the Eastern Mediterranean, that means so much to our heritage.
“Certainly, one cannot discuss policy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean for the past decade without citing the impact he had on its formulation. Together, we worked with him on a path toward rapprochement in the region. And although there may have been times when there was not complete agreement on policy, we valued his open-mindedness, two-way line of communication and his forward-thinking approach to find solutions to tough challenges.
“We’re proud to count him as a member of AHEPA, and as a Philhellene. We wish him, and his family, all the best in the future.”
Background
AHEPA worked closely with Burns during his tenure as American Ambassador to Greece to strengthen U.S.-Greece relations. Projects on which AHEPA collaborated with Ambassador Burns, and his staff, included: erecting the George C. Marshall Statue on the grounds of the American Embassy to celebrate the Marshall Plan, embarking on a tree-planting campaign for Mount Ymittos, providing archival materials for an embassy exhibit highlighting the history of U.S.-Greece relations, and producing a DVD presentation on the same topic.
AHEPA was established in 1922, by visionary Greek-Americans to protect all from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA has joined with the NAACP and B’nai B’rith International to fight discrimination. The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ideals of Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence. For more information about AHEPA, or how to join, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, 202.232.6300, or visit www.ahepa.org.
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