[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6357. Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. McCormick) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title XII, insert the
following:
SEC. 12___. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN GATEWAY ACT.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act''.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to support the
role of Eastern Mediterranean countries as a strategic
gateway in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
(IMEC).
(c) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC),
launched at the G20 Summit in 2023 with G7 backing, enhances
connectivity between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe while
serving as a strategic alternative to Chinese infrastructure
investments.
(2) The Eastern Mediterranean region is of strategic
importance to the United States and its allies, as
demonstrated by the United States founding role in the 3+1
framework with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus.
(3) Energy projects such as the Great Sea Interconnector,
the Gregy Interconnection Project, the Greece-Bulgaria
Interconnector, and the LNG terminals in the Eastern
Mediterranean play a key role in European energy security and
provide critical infrastructure that can serve as the
backbone for linking India, the Gulf, and Europe through the
Eastern Mediterranean and improve opportunities for United
States energy security.
(4) Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, and Israel are key United States
partners in promoting stability, security, and economic
development in the region.
(5) Enhanced defense and security cooperation, as well as
educational and cultural exchanges, strengthen bilateral and
multilateral ties.
(6) According to Presidential Determination 2025-03, ``the
furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the
Republic of Cyprus will strengthen the security of the United
States and promote world peace''.
(7) The statement of policy in the Israel Relations
Normalization Act of 2022 (22 U.S.C. 8601 note), notably that
it is the policy of the United States ``to expand and
strengthen the Abraham Accords to encourage other nations to
normalize relations with Israel'', should guide the Secretary
of State and other United States actors in their work to
promote integration between India, the Middle East and
southeast Europe.
(8) India has strengthened strategic ties with Greece,
Israel, and Cyprus, fostering economic, maritime, and
security cooperation that aligns with United States regional
priorities.
(9) The success of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic
Corridor depends on infrastructure, security, and innovation
partnerships rooted in the Eastern Mediterranean region,
which serves as the primary connective hub linking the Gulf
and Indian subcontinent to Europe.
(d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the significance of diplomatic initiatives such as the
Greece-Cyprus-Israel-US ``3+1'' format, the East
Mediterranean Gas Forum and the Abraham Accords should be
recognized and the United States should maintain its
leadership role in these diplomatic initiatives;
(2) the United States should continue to actively
participate in the initiatives of the East Mediterranean Gas
Forum;
(3) the Eastern Mediterranean region is a key gateway that
can link three continents and the United States should
support energy and transportation infrastructure,
connectivity initiatives, defense cooperation, and other
forms of integration in and around the region;
(4) the United States recognizes the unique role of Eastern
Mediterranean countries as both a distinct subregion and a
central connector within the broader IMEC corridor;
(5) the ``3+1'' diplomatic initiative should resume with a
meeting of the Secretary of State with the Foreign Ministers
of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; and
(6) the statement of policy in section 203 of the Eastern
Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 (22
U.S.C. 2373 note) should guide the Secretary of State in
promoting connectivity between India, the Middle East and
Europe, including participation in the trilateral dialogue on
energy, maritime security, cybersecurity and protection of
critical infrastructure conducted among Israel, Greece, and
Cyprus.
(e) Diplomacy in Eastern Mediterranean Region.--
(1) Strategic dialogues.--The Secretary of State may
institutionalize multilateral strategic dialogues between the
United States and IMEC countries, including dedicated formats
with Eastern Mediterranean countries, with which the United
States has a bilateral strategic dialogue.
(2) Prioritization of the eastern mediterranean.--The
Secretary of State shall prioritize the Eastern Mediterranean
region in United States foreign policy, focusing on energy
security and defense cooperation with countries in such
region.
(f) Reports and Studies.--
(1) Report on implementation.--
(A) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for 5 years
and every 2 years thereafter for 10 years, the Secretary of
State shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report describing the implementation and effect
of this Act, including an update on energy projects and
defense cooperation that are being carried out pursuant to
the authorities of this Act and the amendments made by this
Act.
(B) Contents.--The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall include an assessment detailing how IMEC is helping to
boost connections and trade between relevant United States
partners with the aim of countering the influence of the
People's Republic of China.
(2) Report on multilateral initiatives.--Not later than one
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate
congressional committees a briefing on each multilateral
initiative between the United States and IMEC countries.
(3) Analysis of cyprus centre for land, open seas, and port
security.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall analyze
insights gained from the operation of the Cyprus Centre for
Land, Open Seas, and Port Security as a potential model for
broad-based multilateral cooperation.
(4) Study of program creation and expansion.--Not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of
Energy, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report describing the cost of, steps to, and
feasibility of--
(A) creating bilateral programs with Eastern Mediterranean
countries modeled on bilateral programs between the United
States and Israel, including--
(i) the Binational Agriculture Research and Development
Fund;
(ii) the United States-Israel Binational Industrial
Research and Development Foundation (including projects
relating to homeland security and cybersecurity);
(iii) the United States-Israel Binational Science
Foundation; and
(iv) the United States-Israel Science and Technology
Foundation; and
(B) expanding bilateral programs between the United States
and Israel, including the programs listed in subparagraph
(A), to include other Eastern Mediterranean countries and
IMEC countries.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Eastern mediterranean country.--The term ``Eastern
Mediterranean country'' refers to the following countries:
(A) The Arab Republic of Egypt.
(B) The Hellenic Republic.
(C) The Republic of Cyprus.
(D) The State of Israel.
(3) IMEC country.--The term ``IMEC country'' means any of
the following countries:
(A) The European Union.
(B) The Federal Republic of Germany.
(C) The French Republic.
(D) The Italian Republic.
(E) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
(F) The Republic of India.
(G) The United Arab Emirates.
(H) The United States.
(I) Any other country that the Secretary of State
designates as an IMEC country for purposes of this section.
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