"NEW YORK –New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas (Lou) Raptakis urged the European Union and the United States to help Greece as Turkey has sent a flood of refugees to the border. Assemblywoman Malliotakis and Sen. Raptakis on March 2 released the following statement concerning the situation:

The U.S. government needs to oppose this action in the strongest terms possible.

“Every nation has the right to secure its borders. That is true for both the U.S. and Greece. Both nations have long, proud histories of showing compassion toward immigrants and refugees. However, they must also have the ability to control the flow of immigration and know who is entering their country for security, health and economic reasons." Read the full story at The National Herald.

Greek Language / Yianopoulos Tribute
In St Augustine, Florida, regarding community outreach and Greek education - Honoring the founder, Ioannis Giannopoulos, of the 1st Greek school in the America in 1760. The January 22, 2020 event's ceremony facilitated the transfer of the statue of Yiannopoulos to the United States from Tripoli, Greece. Present were Federation of Hellenic-American Educators President Stella Kokolis, Prometheus Association President Meropi Kyriakou, and Rhode Island’s Greek-American State Senator Leonidas Raptakis. "The bust of Ioannis Giannopoulos will travel to St. Augustine, Florida on March 7, 2020. It should be noted that the event is part of the series of events commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Revolution of 1821." Click/tap on graphics to see the videos and read The National Herald articles...

"Another notable step, which Senator Lou Raptakis actively supported, was the fact that in March 2018, the State University of New York and the National Merchant Marine Academy of Hydra signed an agreement for student exchanges between the two institutions. This is a fantastic initiative, and is a great example of the kind of educational partnerships that we will continue to grow. Our governments also recently reached an agreement on the mutual recognition of seamen certificates, and Minister Kouvelis and I have agreed that we will seek to build even more on cooperation between the U.S. and Hellenic coast guards. And as I was arriving tonight, I was thrilled to be greeted by a few of the cadets from the Hydra Academy, who are in a position to benefit from this exchange program." Click/Tap Here to read the full story - Ambassador’s Remarks at East Mediterranean Business & Cultural Alliance February 8, 2019 by the official website of the U.S. Embassy in Greece.

Rhode Island State Senator Lou Raptakis, alone with Nicole Malliotakis (of Staten Island) and Wyoming State Senator Stephen Pappas formed a bipartisan delegation of Greek-American legislators who made an official visit to Greece. This delegation attended the Thessaloniki International Fair at which USA was this year’s honored country. Read more Staten Island Entertainment.