[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1276-E1277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN TRIBUTE TO AMBASSADOR ALEXANDROS P. MALLIAS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Alexandros P. 
Mallias, the Ambassador of Greece to the United States. During his 
tenure, Ambassador Mallias has fostered greater understanding and 
forged closer bonds between the leaders of Greece and America, 
including with many members of the House and Senate and officials in 
the Executive Branch. Ambassador Mallias has been a truly outstanding 
representative of the Hellenic Republic.
  After nearly four years leading the Greek diplomatic delegation to 
the United States, Ambassador Alexandros Mallias is returning to serve 
as a senior advisor to the Greek Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyianni, on 
critical issues in the sensitive Balkan region. Having first presented 
his credentials in Washington in 2005, Ambassador Mallias has served 
with distinction during a critical period in Greek American relations.
  A proponent of public diplomacy, Ambassador Mallias has made hands-on 
interaction with the American people an integral part of his mission 
here, reaching beyond the bounds of Beltway politics. He traveled 
extensively throughout the U.S., visiting more than 30 states and 
delivering more than 140 public lectures at universities, think tanks 
and other organizations, not just on issues relating to Greece, but 
also on matters affecting the broader Southeastern European region.
  Born on October 1, 1949, Ambassador Mallias traces his family's roots 
to Stemnitsa in the mountainous region of Arcadia. He received his 
undergraduate degree in Economics from University of Athens, studied 
Political Science at the University of Geneva, and obtained a Post-
Graduate Certificate from the ``Institut des Hautes Etudes 
Europeennes''. He joined the Foreign Service of the Hellenic Republic 
in 1976.
  Ambassador Mallias developed a close and warm relationship with the 
Hellenic American Community.
  He and his wife Francoise, whom he affectionately calls his ``pillar 
of support,'' devoted themselves tirelessly and selflessly to promoting 
the relationship between the United States and Greece. They opened the 
Greek Embassy in Washington to events and cultural occasions, 
frequently hosting the Hellenic-American community and the diplomatic 
community at large. I was honored to be included at many of these 
events and even, on one special occasion, to be honored by the Greek 
Embassy. It was a true highlight of my career, the memory of which I 
will always treasure.
  During his four years as Ambassador, Alexandros P. Mallias worked to 
ensure that the critical strategic relationship between Greece and the 
United States remained on a positive note. There is a fresh interest on 
the part of the United States to work with Greece on a wide array of 
issues of regional as well as global importance, such as the security 
of vital sea lanes.
  As Ambassador Mallias has always said, Greece's greatest asset in the 
United States remains the vibrant Hellenic-American community, so many 
of whose members I am proud

[[Page E1277]]

to serve in the United States House of Representatives. As the Co-
Founder and Co-Chair of the Hellenic Congressional Caucus on Hellenic 
Issues, I can say with certainty that this outstanding ambassador will 
be sorely missed. Ambassador Mallias, we wish you ``Ke Sta Annoterar,'' 
or great success, in all your future endeavors!
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring 
Ambassador Alexandros P. Mallias, a great statesman and diplomat whose 
life's work has contributed immeasurably to cross-cultural 
understanding and international cooperation.

                          ____________________