II 

Calendar No. 142 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1102 

To promote security and energy partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 10, 2019 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

COONS, Mr. CRUZ, and Mr. CRAMER) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JULY 10, 2019 

Reported by Mr. RISCH, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To promote security and energy partnerships in the Eastern 

Mediterranean, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Eastern Mediterranean 

5 Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019’’. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1102 RS

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) The security of partners and allies in the 

4 Eastern Mediterranean region is critical to the secu5 rity of the United States and Europe. 

6 (2) Greece is a valuable member of the North 

7 Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a key pil8 lar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

9 (3) Israel is a steadfast ally of the United 

10 States and has been designated a ‘‘major non-NATO 

11 ally’’ and ‘‘major strategic partner’’. 

12 (4) Cyprus is a key strategic partner and 

13 signed a Statement of Intent with the United States 

14 on November 6, 2018, to enhance bilateral security 

15 cooperation. 

16 (5) The countries of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel 

17 have participated in critical trilateral summits to im18 prove cooperation on energy and security issues. 

19 (6) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo partici20 pated in the trilateral summit among Israel, Greece, 

21 and Cyprus on March 20, 2019. 

22 (7) All four countries oppose any action in the 

23 Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea that 

24 could challenge stability, violate international law, or 

25 undermine good neighborly relations, and in a joint 

26 declaration on March 21, 2019, agreed to ‘‘defend 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1102 RS

1 against external malign influences in the Eastern 

2 Mediterranean and the broader Middle East’’. 

3 (8) The recent discovery of potentially the re4 gion’s largest natural gas field off the Egyptian 

5 coast and the newest discoveries of natural gas off 

6 the Cypriot coast could represent a significant posi7 tive development for the Eastern Mediterranean and 

8 the Middle East, enhancing the region’s strategic en9 ergy significance. 

10 (9) Turkish government officials have expressed 

11 an intent to purchase the S–400 system from the 

12 Russian Federation, which could trigger the imposi13 tion of mandatory sanctions under the Countering 

14 America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Pub15 lic Law 115–44). 

16 (10) It is in the national security interests of 

17 the United States to promote, achieve, and maintain 

18 energy security among, and through cooperation 

19 with, allies. 

20 (11) Natural gas developments in the Eastern 

21 Mediterranean have the potential to provide eco22 nomic gains and contribute to energy security in the 

23 region and Europe, as well as support European ef24 forts to diversify away from natural gas supplied by 

25 the Russian Federation. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1102 RS

1 (12) The soon to be completed Trans Adriatic 

2 Pipeline is a critical component of the Southern Gas 

3 Corridor and the European Union’s efforts to diver4 sify energy resources. 

5 (13) The proposed Eastern Mediterranean pipe6 line if commercially viable would provide for energy 

7 diversification in accordance with the European 

8 Union’s third energy package of reforms. 

9 (14) The United States acknowledges the 

10 achievements and importance of the Binational In11 dustrial Research and Development Foundation 

12 (BIRD) and the United States-Israel Binational 

13 Science Foundation (BSF) and supports continued 

14 multiyear funding to ensure the continuity of the 

15 programs of the Foundations. 

16 (15) The United States has welcomed Greece’s 

17 allocation of 2 percent of its gross domestic product 

18 (GDP) to defense in accordance with commitments 

19 made at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales. 

20 (16) Energy exploration in the Eastern Medi21 terranean region must be safeguarded against 

22 threats posed by terrorist and extremist groups, in23 cluding Hezbollah and any other actor in the region. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 1102 RS

1 (17) The energy exploration in the Republic of 

2 Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial 

3 waters— 

4 (A) furthers United States interests by 

5 providing a potential alternative to Russian gas 

6 for United States allies and partners; and 

7 (B) should not be impeded by other sov8 ereign states. 

9 (18) The United States Government cooperates 

10 closely with the Government of the Republic of Cy11 prus through information sharing agreements. 

12 (19) United States officials have assisted the 

13 Government of the Republic of Cyprus with crafting 

14 that nation’s national security strategy. 

15 (20) The United States Government provides 

16 training to Cypriot officials in areas such as cyberse17 curity, counterterrorism, and explosive ordnance dis18 posal and stockpile management. 

19 (21) The Republic of Cyprus is a valued mem20 ber of the Proliferation Security Initiative to combat 

21 the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. 

22 (22) The Republic of Cyprus continues to work 

23 closely with the United Nations and regional part24 ners in Europe to combat terrorism and violent ex25 tremism. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 1102 RS

1 (23) Despite robust economic and security rela2 tions with the United States, the Republic of Cyprus 

3 has been subject to a United States prohibition on 

4 the export of defense articles and services since 

5 1987. 

6 (24) The 1987 arms prohibition was designed 

7 to restrict United States arms sales and transfer to 

8 the Republic of Cyprus and the occupied part of Cy9 prus to avoid hindering reunification efforts. 

10 (25) At least 40,000 Turkish troops are sta11 tioned in the occupied part of Cyprus with some 

12 weapons procured from the United States through 

13 mainland Turkey. 

14 (26) While the United States has, as a matter 

15 of policy, avoided the provision of defense articles 

16 and services to the Republic of Cyprus, the Govern17 ment of Cyprus has, in the past, sought to obtain 

18 defense articles from other countries, including coun19 tries, such as Russia, that pose challenges to United 

20 States interests around the world. 

21 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

22 It is the policy of the United States— 

23 (1) to continue to actively participate in the tri24 lateral dialogue on energy, maritime security, cyber 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 1102 RS

1 security and protection of critical infrastructure con2 ducted among Israel, Greece and Cyprus; 

3 (2) to support diplomatic efforts with partners 

4 and allies to deepen energy security cooperation 

5 among Greece, Cyprus, and Israel and to encourage 

6 the private sector to make investments in energy in7 frastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean region; 

8 (3) to strongly support the completion of the 

9 Trans Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean Pipelines 

10 and the establishment of liquified natural gas (LNG) 

11 terminals across the Eastern Mediterranean as a 

12 means of diversifying regional energy needs away 

13 from the Russian Federation; 

14 (4) to maintain a robust United States naval 

15 presence and investments in the naval facility at 

16 Souda Bay, Greece and develop deeper security co17 operation with the latter to include the recent MQ– 

18 9 deployments to the Larissa Air Force Base and 

19 United States Army helicopter training in central 

20 Greece; 

21 (5) to welcome Greece’s commitment to move 

22 forward with the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria 

23 (IGB pipeline) and additional LNG terminals that 

24 will help facilitate delivery of non-Russian gas to the 

25 Balkans and central Europe; 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 1102 RS

1 (6) to support deepened security cooperation 

2 with the Republic of Cyprus through the removal of 

3 the arms embargo on the country; 

4 (7) to support robust International Military 

5 Education and Training (IMET) programming with 

6 Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; 

7 (8) to leverage relationships within the Euro8 pean Union to encourage investments in Cypriot bor9 der and maritime security; 

10 (9) to support efforts to counter Russian Fed11 eration Government interference and influence in the 

12 Eastern Mediterranean through increased security 

13 cooperation with Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, to in14 clude intelligence sharing, cyber, and maritime do15 main awareness; 

16 (10) to support the Republic of Cyprus efforts 

17 to regulate its banking industry to ensure that it is 

18 not used as a source of international money laun19 dering and encourages additional measures toward 

20 that end; 

21 (11) to strongly oppose any actions that would 

22 trigger mandatory sanctions pursuant to section 231 

23 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through 

24 Sanctions Act (CAATSA) (Public Law 115–44), to 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 1102 RS

1 include the purchase by Turkey of an S–400 system 

2 from the Russian Federation; 

3 (12) to continue robust official strategic en4 gagement with Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; 

5 (13) to urge countries in the region to deny 

6 port services to the Russian Federation vessels de7 ployed to support the government of Bashar Al8 Assad in Syria; 

9 (14) to support joint military exercises among 

10 Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; 

11 (15) to fully implement relevant CAATSA pro12 visions to prevent interference by the Government of 

13 the Russian Federation in the region; 

14 (16) to support efforts by countries in the re15 gion to demobilize military equipment supplied by 

16 the Government of the Russian Federation in favor 

17 of equipment provided by NATO and NATO-allied 

18 member countries; and 

19 (17) to strongly support the active and robust 

20 participation of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece in the 

21 Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program. 

22 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN EN23 ERGY COOPERATION. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in con25 sultation with the Secretary of Energy, may enter into coVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:44 Jul 10, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1102.RS S1102

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 1102 RS

1 operative agreements supporting and enhancing dialogue 

2 and planning involving international partnerships between 

3 the United States and Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. 

4 (b) ANNUAL REPORTS.—If the Secretary of State, in 

5 consultation with the Secretary of Energy, enters into 

6 agreements authorized under subsection (a), the Secretary 

7 shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congres8 sional committees that describes— 

9 (1) actions taken to implement such agree10 ments; and 

11 (2) any projects undertaken pursuant to such 

12 agreements. 

13 (c) UNITED STATES-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN EN14 ERGY CENTER.—The Secretary of Energy, in consultation 

15 with the Secretary of State, may establish a joint United 

16 States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center in the 

17 United States leveraging the experience, knowledge, and 

18 expertise of institutions of higher education and entities 

19 in the private sector, among others, in offshore energy de20 velopment to further dialogue and collaboration to develop 

21 more robust academic cooperation in energy innovation 

22 technology and engineering, water science, technology 

23 transfer, and analysis of emerging geopolitical implica24 tions, which include opportunities as well as crises and 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 1102 RS

1 threats from foreign natural resource and energy acquisi2 tions. 

3 SEC. 5. REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON TRANSFER OF ARTI4 CLES ON THE UNITED STATES MUNITIONS 

5 LIST TO THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS. 

6 (a) SENSE OF THE SENATE ON CYPRUS.—It is the 

7 sense of the Senate that— 

8 (1) the direct sale or transfer of arms by the 

9 United States to the Republic of Cyprus would ad10 vance United States security interests in Europe by 

11 helping to reduce the dependence of the Government 

12 of Cyprus on other countries for defense-related ma13 teriel, including countries that pose challenges to 

14 United States interests around the world; and 

15 (2) it is in the interest of the United States— 

16 (A) to continue to support United Nations17 facilitated efforts toward a comprehensive solu18 tion to the division of Cyprus; and 

19 (B) for the Republic of Cyprus to join 

20 NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. 

21 (b) MODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION.—Section 

22 620C(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

23 2373(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following 

24 new paragraph: 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 1102 RS

1 ‘‘(3) The requirement under paragraph (1) shall not 

2 apply to any sale or other provision of any defense article 

3 or service to Cyprus if the end-user of such defense article 

4 or service is the Republic of Cyprus.’’. 

5 (c) EXCLUSION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RE6 PUBLIC OF CYPRUS FROM CERTAIN RELATED REGULA7 TIONS.—Beginning on the date of the enactment of this 

8 Act, the Secretary of State shall not apply a policy of de9 nial for exports, re-exports, or transfers of defense articles 

10 and defense services destined for the Republic of Cyprus 

11 if— 

12 (1) the request is made by or on behalf of the 

13 Republic of Cyprus; and 

14 (2) the end-user of such defense articles or de15 fense services is the Republic of Cyprus. 

16 SEC. 6. IMET COOPERATION WITH GREECE AND CYPRUS. 

17 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 

18 2020 $2,000,000 for International Military Education and 

19 Training (IMET) assistance for Greece and $2,000,000 

20 for such assistance for Cyprus. The assistance shall be 

21 made available for the following purposes: 

22 (1) Training of future leaders. 

23 (2) Fostering a better understanding of the 

24 United States. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 1102 RS

1 (3) Establishing a rapport between the United 

2 States military and the country’s military to build 

3 alliances for the future. 

4 (4) Enhancement of interoperability and capa5 bilities for joint operations. 

6 (5) Focusing on professional military education. 

7 (6) Enabling countries to use their national 

8 funds to receive a reduced cost for other Department 

9 of Defense education and training. 

10 (7) Provision of English Language Training as11 sistance. 

12 SEC. 7. FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING. 

13 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 

14 2020 $3,000,000 for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) 

15 assistance for Greece to assist the country in meeting its 

16 commitment as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty 

17 Organization (NATO) to dedicate 20 percent of its de18 fense budget to enhance research and development. 

19 SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON TRANSFER OF F–35 AIRCRAFT TO 

20 TURKEY. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under sub22 section (b), no funds may be obligated or expended— 

23 (1) to transfer, facilitate the transfer, or au24 thorize the transfer of, an F–35 aircraft to the Re25 public of Turkey; 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 1102 RS

1 (2) to transfer intellectual property or technical 

2 data necessary for or related to any maintenance or 

3 support of the F–35 aircraft; or 

4 (3) to construct a storage facility for, or other5 wise facilitate the storage in Turkey of, an F–35 air6 craft transferred to Turkey. 

7 (b) EXCEPTION.—The President may waive the limi8 tation under subsection (a) upon a written certification to 

9 Congress that the Government of Turkey does not plan 

10 or intend to accept delivery of the S–400 air defense sys11 tem. 

12 (c) TRANSFER DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

13 ‘‘transfer’’ includes the physical relocation outside of the 

14 continental United States. 

15 (d) APPLICABILITY.—The limitation under sub16 section (a) does not apply to F–35 aircraft operated by 

17 the United States Armed Forces. 

18 SEC. 9. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON PURCHASE BY TURKEY 

19 OF S–400 AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM. 

20 It is the sense of the Senate that, if the Government 

21 of Turkey purchases the S–400 air defense system from 

22 the Russian Federation— 

23 (1) such a purchase would constitute a signifi24 cant transaction within the meaning of section 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 1102 RS

1 231(a) of the Countering Russian Influence in Eu2 rope and Eurasia Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 9525(a)); 

3 (2) such a purchase would endanger the integ4 rity of the NATO alliance; 

5 (3) such a purchase would adversely affect on6 going operations of the United States Armed Forces, 

7 including coalition operations in which the United 

8 States Armed Forces participate; 

9 (4) such a purchase would result in a signifi10 cant impact to defense cooperation between the 

11 United States and Turkey; 

12 (5) such a purchase would significantly increase 

13 the risk of compromising United States defense sys14 tems and operational capabilities; and 

15 (6) the President should faithfully execute the 

16 Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eur17 asia Act of 2017 by imposing and applying sanctions 

18 under section 235 of that Act (22 U.S.C. 9529) with 

19 respect to any individual or entity determined to 

20 have engaged in such a significant transaction. 

21 SEC. 10. STRATEGY ON UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EN22 ERGY COOPERATION IN THE EASTERN MEDI23 TERRANEAN. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 1102 RS

1 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Sec2 retary of Energy, shall submit to the appropriate congres3 sional committees a strategy on enhanced security and en4 ergy cooperation with countries in the Eastern Mediterra5 nean region, including Israel, Cyprus, and Greece. 

6 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub7 section (a) shall include the following elements: 

8 (1) A description of United States participation 

9 in and support for the Eastern Mediterranean Nat10 ural Gas Forum. 

11 (2) An evaluation of all possible delivery mecha12 nisms into Europe for natural gas discoveries in the 

13 Eastern Mediterranean region. 

14 (3) An evaluation of efforts to protect energy 

15 exploration infrastructure in the region, including 

16 United States companies. 

17 (4) An assessment of the capacity of Cyprus to 

18 host an Energy Crisis Center in the region which 

19 could provide basing facilities in support search and 

20 rescue efforts in the event of an accident. 

21 (5) An assessment of the timing of natural gas 

22 delivery in the region as well as assessment of the 

23 ultimate destination countries for the natural gas 

24 delivery from the region. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 1102 RS

1 (6) A plan to work with United States busi2 nesses seeking to invest in Eastern Mediterranean 

3 energy exploration, development, and cooperation. 

4 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

5 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

6 a classified annex. 

7 SEC. 11. REPORT ON RUSSIAN FEDERATION MALIGN INFLU8 ENCE IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

10 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

11 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

12 a report on Russian Federation malign influence in Cy13 prus, Greece, and Israel since January 1, 2017. 

14 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub15 section (a) shall include the following elements: 

16 (1) An assessment of security, political, and en17 ergy goals of the Government of the Russian Fed18 eration in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

19 (2) A description of energy projects of the Gov20 ernment of the Russian Federation in the Eastern 

21 Mediterranean. 

22 (3) A listing of Russian national ownership of 

23 media outlets in these countries, including the name 

24 of the media outlet, approximate viewership, and asVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:44 Jul 10, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1102.RS S1102

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
18 

•S 1102 RS

1 sessment of whether the outlet promotes pro-Krem2 lin views. 

3 (4) An assessment of military engagement by 

4 the Government of the Russian Federation in the se5 curity sector, including engagement by military 

6 equipment and personnel contractors. 

7 (5) An assessment of efforts supported by the 

8 Government of the Russian Federation to influence 

9 elections in the three countries, through the use of 

10 cyber attacks, social media campaigns, or other ma11 lign influence techniques. 

12 (6) An assessment of efforts by the Government 

13 of the Russian Federation to intimidate and influ14 ence the decision by His All Holiness Ecumenical 

15 Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of 300,000,000 Or16 thodox Christians worldwide, to grant autocephaly to 

17 the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. 

18 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

19 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

20 a classified annex. 

21 SEC. 12. REPORT ON INTERFERENCE BY OTHER COUN22 TRIES IN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE 

23 OF CYPRUS AND AIRSPACE OF GREECE. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
19 

•S 1102 RS

1 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Sec2 retary of Energy, shall submit to the appropriate congres3 sional committees a report listing incidents of interference 

4 in efforts by the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit 

5 natural resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone and vio6 lations of the airspace of the sovereign territory of Greece. 

7 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub8 section (a) shall include the following elements: 

9 (1) A listing of incidents since January 1, 

10 2017, determined by the Secretary of State to inter11 fere in efforts by the Republic of Cyprus to explore 

12 and exploit natural resources in its Exclusive Eco13 nomic Zone. 

14 (2) A listing of incidents since January 1, 

15 2017, determined by the Secretary of State to be 

16 violations of the airspace of Greece by its neighbors. 

17 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

18 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

19 a classified annex. 

20 SEC. 13. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES. 

21 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com22 mittees means’’ the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

23 the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

24 House of Representatives. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
20 

•S 1102 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Eastern Mediterranean 

3 Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress makes the following findings: 

6 (1) The security of partners and allies in the 

7 Eastern Mediterranean region is critical to the secu8 rity of the United States and Europe. 

9 (2) Greece is a valuable member of the North At10 lantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a key pillar 

11 of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

12 (3) Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States 

13 and has been designated a ‘‘major non-NATO ally’’ 

14 and ‘‘major strategic partner’’. 

15 (4) Cyprus is a key strategic partner and signed 

16 a Statement of Intent with the United States on No17 vember 6, 2018, to enhance bilateral security coopera18 tion. 

19 (5) The countries of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel 

20 have participated in critical trilateral summits to 

21 improve cooperation on energy and security issues. 

22 (6) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo participated 

23 in the trilateral summit among Israel, Greece, and 

24 Cyprus on March 20, 2019. 

25 (7) The United States, Israel, Greece, and Cy26 prus oppose any action in the Eastern Mediterranean 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
21 

•S 1102 RS

1 and the Aegean Sea that could challenge stability, 

2 violate international law, or undermine good neigh3 borly relations, and in a joint declaration on March 

4 21, 2019, agreed to ‘‘defend against external malign 

5 influences in the Eastern Mediterranean and the 

6 broader Middle East’’. 

7 (8) The recent discovery of what may be the re8 gion’s largest natural gas field off the Egyptian coast 

9 and the newest discoveries of natural gas off the coast 

10 of Cyprus could represent a significant and positive 

11 development for the Eastern Mediterranean and the 

12 Middle East, enhancing the region’s strategic energy 

13 significance. 

14 (9) Turkish government officials have expressed 

15 an intent to purchase the S–400 system from the Rus16 sian Federation, which is subject to mandatory sanc17 tions under the Countering America’s Adversaries 

18 Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115–44). 

19 (10) It is in the national security interest of the 

20 United States to promote, achieve, and maintain en21 ergy security among, and through cooperation with, 

22 allies. 

23 (11) Natural gas developments in the Eastern 

24 Mediterranean have the potential to provide economic 

25 gains and contribute to energy security in the region 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
22 

•S 1102 RS

1 and Europe, as well as support European efforts to 

2 diversify away from natural gas supplied by the Rus3 sian Federation. 

4 (12) The soon to be completed Trans Adriatic 

5 Pipeline is a critical component of the Southern Gas 

6 Corridor and the European Union’s efforts to diver7 sify energy resources. 

8 (13) The proposed Eastern Mediterranean pipe9 line, if commercially viable, would provide for energy 

10 diversification in accordance with the European 

11 Union’s third energy package of reforms. 

12 (14) The United States acknowledges the achieve13 ments and importance of the Binational Industrial 

14 Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) and 

15 the United States-Israel Binational Science Founda16 tion (BSF) and supports continued multiyear fund17 ing to ensure the continuity of the programs of the 

18 Foundations. 

19 (15) The United States has welcomed Greece’s al20 location of 2 percent of its gross domestic product 

21 (GDP) to defense in accordance with commitments 

22 made at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales. 

23 (16) Energy exploration in the Eastern Medi24 terranean region must be safeguarded against threats 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
23 

•S 1102 RS

1 posed by terrorist and extremist groups, including 

2 Hezbollah and any other actor in the region. 

3 (17) The energy exploration in the Republic of 

4 Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial 

5 waters— 

6 (A) furthers United States interests by pro7 viding a potential alternative to Russian gas for 

8 United States allies and partners; and 

9 (B) should not be impeded by other sov10 ereign states. 

11 (18) The United States Government cooperates 

12 closely with Cyprus, Greece, and Israel through infor13 mation sharing agreements. 

14 (19) United States officials have assisted the 

15 Government of the Republic of Cyprus with crafting 

16 that nation’s national security strategy. 

17 (20) The United States Government provides 

18 training to Cypriot officials in areas such as cyberse19 curity, counterterrorism, and explosive ordnance dis20 posal and stockpile management. 

21 (21) Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are valued mem22 bers of the Proliferation Security Initiative to combat 

23 the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
24 

•S 1102 RS

1 (22) The Republic of Cyprus continues to work 

2 closely with the United Nations and regional partners 

3 in Europe to combat terrorism and violent extremism. 

4 (23) Despite robust economic and security rela5 tions with the United States, the Republic of Cyprus 

6 has been subject to a United States prohibition on the 

7 export of defense articles and services since 1987. 

8 (24) The 1987 arms prohibition was designed to 

9 restrict United States arms sales and transfers to the 

10 Republic of Cyprus and the occupied part of Cyprus 

11 to avoid hindering reunification efforts. 

12 (25) At least 40,000 Turkish troops are stationed 

13 in the occupied part of Cyprus with some weapons 

14 procured from the United States through mainland 

15 Turkey. 

16 (26) While the United States has, as a matter of 

17 policy, avoided the provision of defense articles and 

18 services to the Republic of Cyprus, the Government of 

19 Cyprus has, in the past, sought to obtain defense arti20 cles from other countries, including countries, such as 

21 Russia, that pose challenges to United States interests 

22 around the world. 

23 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

24 It is the policy of the United States— 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
25 

•S 1102 RS

1 (1) to continue to actively participate in the tri2 lateral dialogue on energy, maritime security, cyber3 security and protection of critical infrastructure con4 ducted among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; 

5 (2) to support diplomatic efforts with partners 

6 and allies to deepen energy security cooperation 

7 among Greece, Cyprus, and Israel and to encourage 

8 the private sector to make investments in energy in9 frastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean region; 

10 (3) to strongly support the completion of the 

11 Trans Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean Pipelines 

12 and the establishment of liquified natural gas (LNG) 

13 terminals across the Eastern Mediterranean as a 

14 means of diversifying regional energy needs away 

15 from the Russian Federation; 

16 (4) to maintain a robust United States naval 

17 presence and investments in the naval facility at 

18 Souda Bay, Greece and develop deeper security co19 operation with Greece to include the recent MQ–9 de20 ployments to the Larissa Air Force Base and United 

21 States Army helicopter training in central Greece; 

22 (5) to welcome Greece’s commitment to move for23 ward with the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB 

24 pipeline) and additional LNG terminals that will 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
26 

•S 1102 RS

1 help facilitate delivery of non-Russian gas to the Bal2 kans and central Europe; 

3 (6) to support deepened security cooperation 

4 with the Republic of Cyprus through the removal of 

5 the arms embargo on the country; 

6 (7) to support robust International Military 

7 Education and Training (IMET) programming with 

8 Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; 

9 (8) to leverage relationships within the European 

10 Union to encourage investments in Cypriot border 

11 and maritime security; 

12 (9) to support efforts to counter Russian Federa13 tion interference and influence in the Eastern Medi14 terranean through increased security cooperation with 

15 Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, to include intelligence 

16 sharing, cyber, and maritime domain awareness; 

17 (10) to support the Republic of Cyprus’ efforts to 

18 regulate its banking industry to ensure that it is not 

19 used as a source of international money laundering 

20 and encourage additional measures toward that end; 

21 (11) to strongly oppose any actions that would 

22 trigger mandatory sanctions pursuant to section 231 

23 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through 

24 Sanctions Act (CAATSA) (Public Law 115–44), to 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
27 

•S 1102 RS

1 include the purchase by Turkey of an S–400 system 

2 from the Russian Federation; 

3 (12) to continue robust official strategic engage4 ment with Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; 

5 (13) to urge countries in the region to deny port 

6 services to Russian Federation vessels deployed to 

7 support the government of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria; 

8 (14) to support joint military exercises among 

9 Israel, Greece, and Cyprus; 

10 (15) to fully implement relevant CAATSA provi11 sions to prevent interference by the Russian Federa12 tion in the region; 

13 (16) to support efforts by countries in the region 

14 to demobilize military equipment supplied by the 

15 Russian Federation in favor of equipment provided 

16 by NATO and NATO-allied member countries; and 

17 (17) to strongly support the active and robust 

18 participation of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece in the 

19 Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program. 

20 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN EN21 ERGY COOPERATION. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in coordi23 nation with the Secretary of Energy, may enter into cooper24 ative agreements supporting and enhancing dialogue and 

25 planning involving international partnerships between the 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
28 

•S 1102 RS

1 United States and Israel, Greece, and the Republic of Cy2 prus. 

3 (b) ANNUAL REPORTS.—If the Secretary of State, in 

4 coordination with the Secretary of Energy, enters into 

5 agreements authorized under subsection (a), the Secretary 

6 shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congres7 sional committees that describes— 

8 (1) actions taken to implement such agreements; 

9 and 

10 (2) any projects undertaken pursuant to such 

11 agreements. 

12 (c) UNITED STATES-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN EN13 ERGY CENTER.—The Secretary of Energy, in coordination 

14 with the Secretary of State, may establish a joint United 

15 States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center in the United 

16 States leveraging the experience, knowledge, and expertise 

17 of institutions of higher education and entities in the pri18 vate sector, among others, in offshore energy development 

19 to further dialogue and collaboration to develop more robust 

20 academic cooperation in energy innovation technology and 

21 engineering, water science, technology transfer, and anal22 ysis of emerging geopolitical implications, which include 

23 opportunities as well as crises and threats from foreign nat24 ural resource and energy acquisitions. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
29 

•S 1102 RS

1 SEC. 5. REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON TRANSFER OF ARTI2 CLES ON THE UNITED STATES MUNITIONS 

3 LIST TO THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS. 

4 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON CYPRUS.—It is the sense 

5 of Congress that— 

6 (1) allowing for the export, re-export or transfer 

7 of arms subject to the United States Munitions List 

8 (part 121 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations) to 

9 the Republic of Cyprus would advance United States 

10 security interests in Europe by helping to reduce the 

11 dependence of the Government of the Republic of Cy12 prus on other countries, including countries that pose 

13 challenges to United States interests around the 

14 world, for defense-related materiel; and 

15 (2) it is in the interest of the United States— 

16 (A) to continue to support United Nations17 facilitated efforts toward a comprehensive solu18 tion to the division of Cyprus; and 

19 (B) for the Republic of Cyprus to join 

20 NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. 

21 (b) MODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION.—Section 620C(e) 

22 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2373(e)) 

23 is amended— 

24 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Any agree25 ment’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in para26 graph (3), any agreement’’; and 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
30 

•S 1102 RS

1 (2) by adding at the end the following new para2 graph: 

3 ‘‘(3) The requirement under paragraph (1) shall 

4 not apply to any sale or other provision of any de5 fense article or defense service to Cyprus if the end6 user of such defense article or defense service is the 

7 Government of the Republic of Cyprus.’’. 

8 (c) EXCLUSION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUB9 LIC OF CYPRUS FROM CERTAIN RELATED REGULATIONS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (d) and 

11 except as provided in paragraph (2), beginning on the 

12 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

13 State shall not apply a policy of denial for exports, 

14 re-exports, or transfers of defense articles and defense 

15 services destined for or originating in the Republic of 

16 Cyprus if— 

17 (A) the request is made by or on behalf of 

18 the Government of the Republic of Cyprus; and 

19 (B) the end-user of such defense articles or 

20 defense services is the Government of the Repub21 lic of Cyprus. 

22 (2) EXCEPTION.—This exclusion shall not apply 

23 to any denial based upon credible human rights con24 cerns. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
31 

•S 1102 RS

1 (d) LIMITATIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF ARTICLES ON

2 THE UNITED STATES MUNITIONS LIST TO THE REPUBLIC

3 OF CYPRUS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The policy of denial for ex5 ports, re-exports, or transfers of defense articles on the 

6 United States Munitions List to the Republic of Cy7 prus shall remain in place unless the President deter8 mines and certifies to the appropriate congressional 

9 committees not less than annually that— 

10 (A) the Government of the Republic of Cy11 prus is continuing to cooperate with the United 

12 States Government in efforts to implement re13 forms on anti-money laundering regulations and 

14 financial regulatory oversight; and 

15 (B) the Government of the Republic of Cy16 prus has made and is continuing to take the 

17 steps necessary to deny Russian military vessels 

18 access to ports for refueling and servicing. 

19 (2) WAIVER.—The President may waive the lim20 itations contained in this subsection for one fiscal 

21 year if the President determines that it is essential to 

22 the national security interests of the United States to 

23 do so. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
32 

•S 1102 RS

1 (3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

2 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate 

3 congressional committees’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

5 and the Committee on Armed Services of the 

6 Senate; and 

7 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

8 the Committee on Armed Services of the House 

9 of Representatives. 

10 SEC. 6. IMET COOPERATION WITH GREECE AND THE RE11 PUBLIC OF CYPRUS. 

12 There is authorized to be appropriated $1,300,000 for 

13 fiscal year 2020, $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2021, and 

14 $1,800,000 for fiscal year 2022 for International Military 

15 Education and Training (IMET) assistance for Greece and 

16 $200,000 for fiscal year 2020, $500,000 for fiscal year 2021, 

17 and $750,000 for fiscal year 2022 for such assistance for 

18 the Republic of Cyprus. The assistance shall be made avail19 able for the following purposes: 

20 (1) Training of future leaders. 

21 (2) Fostering a better understanding of the 

22 United States. 

23 (3) Establishing a rapport between the United 

24 States military and the country’s military to build 

25 alliances for the future. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
33 

•S 1102 RS

1 (4) Enhancement of interoperability and capa2 bilities for joint operations. 

3 (5) Focusing on professional military education. 

4 (6) Enabling countries to use their national 

5 funds to receive a reduced cost for other Department 

6 of Defense education and training. 

7 SEC. 7. FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING. 

8 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 

10 $3,000,000 for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assist11 ance for Greece to assist the country in meeting its commit12 ment as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza13 tion (NATO) to dedicate 20 percent of its defense budget 

14 to enhance research and development. 

15 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 

16 that Greece should receive robust support under the Euro17 pean Recapitalization Incentive Program implemented by 

18 the Department of Defense. 

19 SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON TRANSFER OF F–35 AIRCRAFT TO 

20 TURKEY. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under sub22 section (b), no funds may be obligated or expended— 

23 (1) to transfer, facilitate the transfer, or author24 ize the transfer of an F–35 aircraft to the Republic 

25 of Turkey; 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
34 

•S 1102 RS

1 (2) to transfer intellectual property or technical 

2 data necessary for or related to any maintenance or 

3 support of the F–35 aircraft; or 

4 (3) to construct a storage facility for, or other5 wise facilitate the storage in Turkey of, an F–35 air6 craft transferred to Turkey. 

7 (b) EXCEPTION.—The President may waive the limita8 tion under subsection (a) upon a written certification to 

9 Congress that the Government of Turkey does not plan or 

10 intend to accept delivery of the S–400 air defense system. 

11 (c) TRANSFER DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

12 ‘‘transfer’’ includes the physical relocation outside of the 

13 continental United States. 

14 (d) APPLICABILITY.—The limitation under subsection 

15 (a) does not apply to F–35 aircraft operated by the United 

16 States Armed Forces. 

17 SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PURCHASE BY TURKEY OF 

18 S–400 AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM. 

19 It is the sense of Congress that, if the Government of 

20 Turkey purchases the S–400 air defense system from the 

21 Russian Federation— 

22 (1) such a purchase would constitute a signifi23 cant transaction within the meaning of section 231(a) 

24 of the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and 

25 Eurasia Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 9525(a)); 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
35 

•S 1102 RS

1 (2) such a purchase would endanger the integrity 

2 and interoperability of the NATO alliance; 

3 (3) such a purchase would adversely affect ongo4 ing operations of the United States Armed Forces, in5 cluding coalition operations in which the United 

6 States Armed Forces participate; 

7 (4) such a purchase would result in a significant 

8 impact to defense cooperation between the United 

9 States and Turkey; 

10 (5) such a purchase would significantly increase 

11 the risk of compromising United States defense sys12 tems and operational capabilities; and 

13 (6) the Countering Russian Influence in Europe 

14 and Eurasia Act of 2017 mandates the imposition of 

15 sanctions under section 235 of that Act (22 U.S.C. 

16 9529) with respect to any individual or entity deter17 mined to have engaged in such a significant trans18 action. 

19 SEC. 10. STRATEGY ON UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EN20 ERGY COOPERATION IN THE EASTERN MEDI21 TERRANEAN. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 

24 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Sec25 retary of Energy, shall submit to the appropriate congresVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:44 Jul 10, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S1102.RS S1102

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
36 

•S 1102 RS

1 sional committees a strategy on enhanced security and en2 ergy cooperation with countries in the Eastern Mediterra3 nean region, including Israel, the Republic of Cyprus, and 

4 Greece. 

5 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under subsection 

6 (a) shall include the following elements: 

7 (1) A description of United States participation 

8 in and support for the Eastern Mediterranean Nat9 ural Gas Forum. 

10 (2) An evaluation of all possible delivery mecha11 nisms into Europe for natural gas discoveries in the 

12 Eastern Mediterranean region. 

13 (3) An evaluation of efforts to protect energy ex14 ploration infrastructure in the region, including in15 frastructure owned or operated by United States com16 panies. 

17 (4) An assessment of the capacity of the Republic 

18 of Cyprus to host an Energy Crisis Center in the re19 gion which could provide basing facilities in support 

20 of search and rescue efforts in the event of an acci21 dent. 

22 (5) An assessment of the timing of potential nat23 ural gas delivery in the region as well as an assess24 ment of the ultimate destination countries for the nat25 ural gas delivery from the region. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
37 

•S 1102 RS

1 (6) A plan to work with United States businesses 

2 seeking to invest in Eastern Mediterranean energy ex3 ploration, development, and cooperation. 

4 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

5 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

6 a classified annex. 

7 SEC. 11. REPORT ON RUSSIAN FEDERATION MALIGN INFLU8 ENCE IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

10 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

11 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 

12 report on Russian Federation malign influence in the Re13 public of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel since January 1, 2017. 

14 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under subsection 

15 (a) shall include the following elements: 

16 (1) An assessment of security, political, and en17 ergy goals of the Russian Federation in the Eastern 

18 Mediterranean. 

19 (2) A description of energy projects of the Gov20 ernment of the Russian Federation in the Eastern 

21 Mediterranean. 

22 (3) A listing of Russian national ownership of 

23 media outlets in these countries, including the name 

24 of the media outlet, approximate viewership, and asVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:44 Jul 10, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S1102.RS S1102

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
38 

•S 1102 RS

1 sessment of whether the outlet promotes pro-Kremlin 

2 views. 

3 (4) An assessment of military engagement by the 

4 Government of the Russian Federation in the security 

5 sector, including engagement by military equipment 

6 and personnel contractors. 

7 (5) An assessment of efforts supported by the 

8 Government of the Russian Federation to influence 

9 elections in the three countries, through the use of 

10 cyber attacks, social media campaigns, or other ma11 lign influence techniques. 

12 (6) An assessment of efforts by the Government 

13 of the Russian Federation to intimidate and influence 

14 the decision by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patri15 arch Bartholomew, leader of 300,000,000 Orthodox 

16 Christians worldwide, to grant autocephaly to the 

17 Ukrainian Orthodox Church. 

18 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

19 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

20 a classified annex. 

21 SEC. 12. REPORT ON INTERFERENCE BY OTHER COUNTRIES 

22 IN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OF THE 

23 REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
39 

•S 1102 RS

1 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Sec2 retary of Energy, shall submit to the appropriate congres3 sional committees a report listing incidents since January 

4 1, 2017, determined by the Secretary of State to interfere 

5 in efforts by the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit 

6 natural resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone. 

7 (b) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

8 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

9 a classified annex. 

10 SEC. 13. REPORT ON INTERFERENCE BY OTHER COUNTRIES 

11 IN THE AIRSPACE OF GREECE. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 

14 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit 

15 to the appropriate congressional committees a report listing 

16 incidents since January 1, 2017, determined by the Sec17 retary of State to be violations of the airspace of the sov18 ereign territory of Greece by its neighbors. 

19 (b) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

20 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 

21 a classified annex. 

22 SEC. 14. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES. 

23 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com24 mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
40 

•S 1102 RS

1 Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 

2 of Representatives. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 142 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1102 

A BILL 

To promote security and energy partnerships in the 

Eastern Mediterranean, and for other purposes. 

JULY 10, 2019 

Reported with an amendment 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS