,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #biac ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #bb1 #bjai,mr4 ,deutch 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1 and ,mr4 ,cicilline7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,financial ,services1 ,oversight and ,reform1 ,ways and ,means1 and the ,judiciary1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to promote security and energy partnerships in the ,eastern ,mediterranean1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,eastern ,mediterranean ,security and ,energy ,partnership ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the security of partners and allies in the ,eastern ,mediterranean region is critical to the security of the ,united ,states and ,europe4 7#b7 ,greece is a valuable member of the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato7 and a key pillar of stability in the ,eastern ,mediterranean4 7#c7 ,israel is a steadfast ally of the ,united ,states and has been designated a major non-,,nato ally and major strategic partner4 7#d7 ,cyprus is an important partner in the ,eastern ,mediterranean and signed a ,statement of ,intent with the ,united ,states on ,july #aj1 #bjah1 to enhance bilateral security cooperation4 7#e7 ,the countries of ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus participate in a critical trilateral dialogue to improve cooperation on energy and security issues4 7#f7 ,secretary of ,state ,mike ,pompeo participated in the trilateral dialogue among the three countries on ,march #bj1 #bjai4 7#g7 ,all three countries oppose any action in the ,eastern ,mediterranean and the ,aegean ,sea that could challenge stability1 violate international law1 or undermine good neighborly relations4 7#h7 ,the recent discovery of a large natural gas field off the ,egyptian coast and the newest discoveries of natural gas off of the ,cypriot coast could represent a significant positive development for the ,eastern ,mediterranean and the ,middle ,east and may offer new economic opportunities in the region provided ecologically sound extraction methods protect the regional environment4 7#i7 ,the ,government of ,turkey has expressed an intent to purchase the ,s-#djj missile defense system from the ,russian ,federation1 which could trigger the imposition of mandatory sanctions under the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act 7,public ,law #aae-aad74 7#aj7 ,it is in the national security interests of the ,united ,states to promote1 achieve1 and maintain energy security among1 and through cooperation with1 allies4 7#aa7 ,natural gas developments in the ,eastern ,mediterranean have the potential to provide economic gains and contribute to energy security in the region and ,europe1 as well as support ,european efforts to diversify away from natural gas supplied by the ,russian ,federation4 7#ab7 ,the soon to be completed ,trans ,adriatic pipeline is a critical component of the ,southern ,gas ,corridor and the ,european ,union's efforts to diversify energy resources4 7#ac7 ,the proposed ,eastern ,mediterranean pipeline if commercially viable would provide for energy diversification in accordance with the ,european ,union's third energy package of reforms4 7#ad7 ,cooperation between the ,united ,states1 ,cyprus1 and ,greece for the purpose of research and development of energy sources would be in the national interests of not only the ,united ,states1 but also ,israel1 and other countries in the ,eastern ,mediterranean and ,north ,africa with similar natural gas finds4 7#ae7 ,the ,united ,states acknowledges the achievements and importance of the ,binational ,industrial ,research and ,development ,foundation 7,,bird7 and the ,united ,states-,israel ,binational ,science ,foundation 7,,bsf7 and supports continued multiyear funding to ensure the continuity of the programs of the ,foundations4 7#af7 ,the ,united ,states has welcomed ,greece's allocation of two percent of its gross domestic product 7,,gdp7 to defense in accordance with commitments made at the #bjad ,,nato ,summit in ,wales4 7#ag7 ,energy exploration efforts in the ,eastern ,mediterranean region must be safeguarded against threats posed by terrorist and extremist groups1 including ,hezbollah and others4 7#ah7 ,the energy exploration in the ,republic of ,cyprus's ,exclusive ,economic ,zone and territorial waters-- 7,a7 furthers ,united ,states interests by providing a potential alternative to ,russian gas for ,united ,states allies and partners2 and 7,b7 should not be impeded by other sovereign states4 7#ai7 ,the ,united ,states ,government cooperates closely with the ,government of ,cyprus through numerous bilateral agreements4 7#bj7 ,united ,states officials have assisted the ,government of ,cyprus with crafting that country's national security strategy4 7#ba7 ,the ,united ,states ,government provides training to ,cypriot officials in areas such as cybersecurity1 counterterrorism1 and explosive ordnance disposal and stockpile management4 7#bb7 ,cyprus is a valued member of the ,proliferation ,security ,initiative to combat the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction4 7#bc7 ,cyprus continues to work closely with the ,united ,nations and regional partners in ,europe to combat terrorism and violent extremism4 7#bd7 ,cyprus has been used as an offshore banking hub4 ,while ,cyprus is working to upgrade its anti-money laundering legal framework1 the ,department of ,state's #bjai ,international ,narcotics ,control ,strategy ,report 7,,incsr7 noted that1 the ,cypriot financial system is vulnerable to money laundering by domestic and foreign criminal enterprises and individuals and that organized criminal groups and others have reportedly used ,cypriot banks to launder proceeds1 particularly from ,russian and ,ukrainian illicit activity4 7#be7 ,as of ,february #bjai1 ,cyprus has taken steps to address legitimate criticism of its use of investor citizenship schemes 7known as golden passports71 which have in the past allowed ,russian oligarchs under ,united ,states sanctions to obtain ,cypriot passports and gain full access to the ,european ,union4 7#bf7 ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #abea 7#aiii7 noted grave concern at the continuing excessive levels of military forces and armaments in the ,republic of ,cyprus and the rate at which they are being expanded1 upgraded and modernized and called upon all concerned to commit themselves to ''' limiting and then substantially reducing the level of all troops and armaments in the ,republic of ,cyprus44 7#bg7 ,a #aihg ,united ,states arms prohibition was designed to restrict ,united ,states arms sales and transfer to ,cyprus and the occupied part of ,cyprus to avoid hindering reunification efforts4 7#bh7 ,at least #dj1jjj ,turkish troops are stationed in the occupied part of ,cyprus4 7#bi7 ,while the ,united ,states has1 as a matter of policy1 avoided the provision of defense articles and services to ,cyprus1 the ,government of ,cyprus has1 in the past1 sought to obtain defense articles from other countries1 such as ,russia1 that pose challenges to ,united ,states interests around the world4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to continue to actively participate in the trilateral dialogue on energy1 maritime security1 cyber security and protection of critical infrastructure conducted among ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus2 7#b7 to support diplomatic efforts with partners and allies to deepen energy security cooperation among ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus and encourage the private sector to make investments in energy infrastructure in the ,eastern ,mediterranean2 7#c7 to strongly support the completion of the ,trans ,adriatic pipeline and the ,eastern ,mediterranean pipeline and the establishment of liquified natural gas 7,,lng7 terminals across the ,eastern ,mediterranean as a means of diversifying regional energy needs away from the ,russian ,federation2 7#d7 to maintain a robust ,united ,states naval presence and investments in the naval facility at ,souda ,bay1 ,greece1 and develop deeper security cooperation with ,greece2 7#e7 to welcome ,greece's commitment to move forward with the ,interconnector ,greece-,bulgaria 7,,igb pipeline7 and additional ,,lng terminals that will help facilitate delivery of non-,russian gas to the ,balkans and central ,europe2 7#f7 to continue to support efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement to reunify ,cyprus as a bizonal1 bicommunal federation and urge all parties to intensify their work on behalf of peace2 7#g7 to deepen security cooperation with ,cyprus1 potentially including lifting current restrictions on the export of defense articles and services to ,cyprus2 7#h7 to support robust ,international ,military ,education and ,training 7,,imet7 programing with ,greece and ,cyprus2 7#i7 to leverage relationships within ,,nato and the ,european ,union to encourage investments in ,cypriot border and maritime security2 7#aj7 to support efforts to counter ,russian interference and influence in the ,eastern ,mediterranean through increased security cooperation with ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus1 to include intelligence sharing1 cyber cooperation1 and maritime domain awareness2 7#aa7 to support ,cyprus's efforts to better regulate its banking industry to ensure that it is not used as a source of international money laundering and encourage additional measures toward that end2 7#ab7 to encourage ,cyprus and other relevant countries to ensure that investor citizenship schemes do not create security1 money laundering1 or tax evasion vulnerabilities2 7#ac7 to strongly oppose any actions that would trigger mandatory sanctions pursuant to section #bca of the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act 7,public ,law #aae-dd71 to include the purchase by ,turkey of an ,s-#djj missile defense system from the ,russian ,federation2 7#ad7 to continue robust official strategic dialogues with ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus2 7#ae7 to urge countries in the region to deny port services to ,russian vessels deployed to support the government of ,bashar ,al-,assad in ,syria and terminate existing agreements granting ,russian naval vessels access to ports2 7#af7 to support joint military exercises among ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus2 7#ag7 to fully implement relevant provisions of the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act 7,public ,law #aae-dd7 to prevent interference by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in the region2 7#ah7 to support efforts by countries in the region to demobilize military equipment supplied by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in favor of equipment provided by ,,nato and ,,nato-allied member countries2 and 7#ai7 to strongly support the active and robust participation of ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus in the ,combatting ,terrorism ,fellowship ,program4 #d4 ,united ,states-,eastern ,mediterranean energy cooperation 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,energy1 may1 subject to the availability of appropriations1 enter into cooperative agreements supporting and enhancing dialogue and planning involving international partnerships between the ,united ,states and ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus4 7b7 ,annual reports ,if the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,energy1 enters into agreements authorized under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes-- 7#a7 actions taken to implement such agreements2 and 7#b7 any projects undertaken pursuant to such agreements4 7c7 ,united ,states-,eastern ,mediterranean ,energy ,center ,the ,secretary of ,energy1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,state1 may establish a joint ,united ,states-,eastern ,mediterranean ,energy ,center in the ,united ,states leveraging the experience1 knowledge1 and expertise of institutions of higher education and entities in the private sector1 among others1 in offshore energy development to further dialogue and collaboration to develop more robust academic cooperation in energy innovation technology and engineering1 water science1 technology transfer1 and analysis of emerging geopolitical implications1 which include opportunities as well as crises and threats from foreign natural resource and energy acquisitions4 #e4 ,repeal of prohibition on transfer of articles on the ,united ,states ,munitions ,list to ,cyprus 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the direct sale or transfer of arms by the ,united ,states to ,cyprus would advance ,united ,states security interests in ,europe by helping to reduce the dependence of the ,government of ,cyprus on other countries for defense-related materiel1 including countries that pose challenges to ,united ,states interests around the world2 and 7#b7 it is in the interest of the ,united ,states-- 7,a7 to continue to support ,united ,nations-facilitated efforts toward a comprehensive solution to the division of ,cyprus2 and 7,b7 for the ,republic of ,cyprus to join ,,nato's ,partnership for ,peace program4 7b7 ,modification of prohibition ,section #fbj;,c7e7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgc7;e77 is amended by adding at the end of the following new paragraph3 7#c7 ,the requirement under paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply to any sale or other provision of any defense article or defense service to ,cyprus if the end-user of such defense or defense service is ,cyprus4 4 7c7 ,exclusion of the ,government of the ,republic of ,cyprus from certain related regulations ,beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall not apply a policy of denial for exports1 re-exports1 or transfers of defense articles and defense services destined for or originating in the ,republic of ,cyprus if-- 7#a7 the request is made by or on behalf of ,cyprus2 and 7#b7 the end-user of such defense articles or defense services is ,cyprus4 #f4 ,,imet assistance for ,greece and ,cyprus 7a7 ,greece ,there is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year #bjbj #b1jjj1jjj for assistance under chapter #e of part ,,ii of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcdg et seq42 relating to ,international ,military ,education and ,training7 for ,greece4 7b7 ,cyprus ,it is the sense of ,congress that for fiscal year #bjbj such sums as may be necessary should be made available for assistance under chapter #e of part ,,ii of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa for ,cyprus4 7c7 ,purposes ,the assistance described in subsections 7a7 and 7b7 should be made available for the following purposes3 7#a7 ,training of future leaders4 7#b7 ,fostering a better understanding of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,establishing a rapport between the ,united ,states military and the country's military to build alliances for the future4 7#d7 ,enhancement of interoperability and capabilities for joint operations4 7#e7 ,focusing on professional military education4 7#f7 ,enabling countries to use their national funds to receive a reduced cost for other ,department of ,defense education and training4 7#g7 ,provision of ,english ,language ,training assistance4 #g4 ,security sector assistance ,there is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year #bjbj #c1jjj1jjj for ,foreign ,military ,financing for ,greece to assist the country in meeting its commitment as a member of the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization to dedicate #bj percent of its defense budget to enhance research and development4 #h4 ,limitation on transfer of ,f-#ce aircraft to ,turkey 7a7 ,in general ,except as provided under subsection 7b71 no funds may be obligated or expended-- 7#a7 to transfer1 facilitate the transfer1 or authorize the transfer of1 an ,f-#ce aircraft to ,turkey2 7#b7 to transfer intellectual property or technical data necessary for or related to any maintenance or support of the ,f-#ce aircraft2 or 7#c7 to construct a storage facility for1 or otherwise facilitate the storage in ,turkey of1 an ,f-#ce aircraft transferred to ,turkey4 7b7 ,exception ,the ,president may waive the limitation under subsection 7a7 upon a written certification to ,congress that the ,government of ,turkey does not plan or intend to accept delivery of the ,s-#djj air defense system4 7c7 ,transfer defined ,in this section1 the term transfer includes the physical relocation outside of the continental ,united ,states4 7d7 ,applicability ,the limitation under subsection 7a7 does not apply to ,f-#ce aircraft operated by the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces4 #i4 ,sense of ,congress on purchase by ,turkey of ,s-#djj air defense system ,it is the sense of ,congress that1 if the ,government of ,turkey purchases the ,s-#djj air defense system from the ,russian ,federation-- 7#a7 such a purchase would constitute a significant transaction within the meaning of section #bca7;a7 of the ,countering ,russian ,influence in ,europe and ,eurasia ,act of #bjag 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #iebe7;a772 7#b7 such a purchase would endanger the integrity of the ,,nato alliance2 7#c7 such a purchase would adversely affect ongoing operations of the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces1 including coalition operations in which the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces participate2 7#d7 such a purchase would result in a significant impact to defense cooperation between the ,united ,states and ,turkey2 7#e7 such a purchase would significantly increase the risk of compromising ,united ,states defense systems and operational capabilities2 and 7#f7 the ,president should faithfully execute the ,countering ,russian ,influence in ,europe and ,eurasia ,act of #bjag by imposing and applying sanctions described in section #bce of that ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #iebi7 with respect to any individual or entity determined to have engaged in such significant transaction as if such person were a sanctioned person for purposes of such ,act4 #aj4 ,strategy on ,united ,states energy cooperation in the ,eastern ,mediterranean 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,defense and the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy on enhanced security and energy cooperation with countries in the ,eastern ,mediterranean1 including ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus4 7b7 ,elements ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall include the following elements3 7#a7 ,a description of ,united ,states participation in the ,eastern ,mediterranean ,natural ,gas ,forum4 7#b7 ,an evaluation of all possible delivery mechanisms into ,europe for natural gas discoveries in the ,eastern ,mediterranean4 7#c7 ,an evaluation of efforts to protect energy exploration infrastructure in the region1 including that of ,united ,states companies4 7#d7 ,an assessment of the capacity of ,cyprus to host an ,energy ,crisis ,center in the region which could provide basing facilities in support of search and rescue efforts in the event of an accident4 7#e7 ,an assessment of the timing of natural gas delivery in the region as well as assessment of the ultimate destination countries for the natural gas delivery from the region4 7#f7 ,a plan to work with ,united ,states businesses seeking to invest in ,eastern ,mediterranean energy exploration1 development1 and cooperation4 7c7 ,form ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may contain a classified annex4 #aa4 ,report on ,russian ,federation malign influence in the ,eastern ,mediterranean 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on ,russian ,federation malign influence in ,israel1 ,greece1 and ,cyprus since ,january #a1 #bjag4 7b7 ,elements ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall include the following elements3 7#a7 ,an assessment of security1 political1 and energy goals of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in the ,eastern ,mediterranean4 7#b7 ,a description of energy projects of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in the ,eastern ,mediterranean4 7#c7 ,a listing of ,russian national ownership of media outlets in these countries1 including the name of the media outlet1 approximate viewership1 and assessment of whether the outlet promotes pro-,kremlin views4 7#d7 ,an assessment of military engagement by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in the security sector1 including engagement by military equipment and personnel contractors4 7#e7 ,an assessment of efforts supported by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation to influence elections in the three countries1 through the use of cyber attacks1 social media campaigns1 or other malign influence techniques4 7#f7 ,an assessment of activity by ,russian related entities and other entities to use ,cyprus's banking and legal systems to facilitate illicit business transactions4 7#g7 ,an assessment of improvements that ,cyprus must make to its banking system and legal system to prevent the country from serving as a safe haven for those seeking to conduct illicit business transactions4 7#h7 ,an assessment of efforts by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation to intimidate and influence the decision by ,his ,all ,holiness ,ecumenical ,patriarch ,bartholomew1 leader of #cjj1jjj1jjj ,orthodox ,christians worldwide1 to grant autocephaly to the ,ukrainan ,orthodox ,church4 7c7 ,form ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may contain a classified annex4 #ab4 ,report on violations of the exclusive economic zone of ,cyprus1 the sovereign territory of ,greece in the ,aegean ,sea1 and on peace negotiations 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,defense and the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that-- 7#a7 lists incidents where the ,exclusive ,economic ,zone of ,cyprus or the sovereign territory of ,greece in the ,aegean ,sea have been violated2 and 7#b7 assesses opportunities to establish long-term peace on ,cyprus4 7b7 ,elements ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall include the following elements3 7#a7 ,a listing of incidents since ,january #a1 #bjag1 determined by the ,secretary of ,state to be violations by unauthorized vessels of ,cyprus' ,exclusive ,economic ,zone4 7#b7 ,a listing of incidents since ,january #a1 #bjag1 determined by the ,secretary of ,state to be violations of the sovereign territory of ,greece by its neighbors1 particularly airspace violations over the ,aegean ,sea4 7#c7 ,an assessment of the opportunities to establish a long-term peace agreement among all parties in ,cyprus4 7c7 ,form ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may contain a classified annex4 #ac4 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this ,act1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate4