,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dddc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bi1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,booker 7for himself and ,mr4 
,mc,cormick7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to increase cooperation   
with countries in the ,eastern          
,mediterranean region in order to       
strengthen energy security and defense  
capabilities1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,eastern ,mediterranean ,gateway
 ,act4  #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of    
this ,act is to support the role of     
,eastern ,mediterranean countries as a  
strategic gateway in the ,india-,middle 
,east-,europe ,economic ,corridor       
7,,imec74  #c4 ,findings ,congress finds
 the following3 7#a7 ,the ,india-,middle
 ,east-,europe ,economic ,corridor      
7,,imec71 launched at the ,g#bj ,summit 
in #bjbc with ,g#g backing1 enhances    
connectivity between ,asia1 the ,middle 

,east1 and ,europe while serving as a   
strategic alternative to ,china's ,belt 
and ,road ,initiative4  7#b7 ,the       
,eastern ,mediterranean region is of    
strategic importance to the ,united     
,states and its allies1 as demonstrated 
by the ,united ,states founding role in 
the #ca framework with ,greece1 ,israel1
 and ,cyprus4  7#c7 ,energy projects    
such as the ,great ,sea ,interconnector1
 the ,gregy ,interconnection ,project1  
the ,greece-,bulgaria ,interconnector1  
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 ,india1 the 
,gulf1 and ,europe through the ,eastern 
,mediterranean4  7#d7 ,cyprus1 ,greece1 
,egypt1 and ,israel are key ,united     
,states partners in promoting stability1
 security1 and economic development in  
the region4  7#e7 ,enhanced defense and 
security cooperation1 as well as        
educational and cultural exchanges1 are 

essential for strengthening bilateral   
and multilateral ties4  7#f7 ,according 
to ,presidential ,determination         
#bjbe-jc1 the furnishing of defense     
articles and defense services to the    
,republic of ,cyprus will strengthen the
 security of the ,united ,states and    
promote world peace4  7#g7 ,the         
statement of policy in the ,israel      
,relations ,normalization ,act of #bjbb 
7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hfja note71 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 ,israel1 should
 guide the ,secretary of ,state and     
other ,united ,states actors in their   
work to promote integration between     
,india1 the ,middle ,east and southeast 
,europe4  7#h7 ,india has strengthened  
strategic ties with ,greece1 ,israel1   
and ,cyprus1 fostering economic1        
maritime1 and security cooperation that 
aligns with ,united ,states regional    
priorities4  7#i7 ,the success of the   

,india-,middle ,east-,europe ,economic  
,corridor depends on infrastructure1    
security1 and innovation partnerships   
rooted in the ,eastern ,mediterranean   
region1 which serves as the primary     
connective hub linking the ,gulf and    
,indian subcontinent to ,europe4  #d4   
,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of 
,congress that-- 7#a7 the significance  
of diplomatic initiatives such as the   
,greece-,cyprus-,israel-,,us #ca format1
 the ,east ,mediterranean ,gas ,forum   
and the ,abraham ,accords should be     
recognized and the ,united ,states      
should maintain its leadership role in  
these diplomatic initiatives2  7#b7 the 
,united ,states should continue to      
actively participate in the initiatives 
of the ,east ,mediterranean ,gas ,forum2
  7#c7 the ,eastern ,mediterranean      
region is a key gateway that can link   
three continents and the ,united ,states
 should support energy and              
transportation infrastructure1          
connectivity initiatives1 defense       

cooperation1 and other forms of         
integration in and around the region2   
7#d7 the ,united ,states recognizes the 
unique role of ,eastern ,mediterranean  
countries as both a distinct subregion  
and a central connector within the      
broader ,,imec corridor2  7#e7 the #ca  
diplomatic initiative should resume with
 a meeting of the ,secretary of ,state  
with the ,ministers of ,israel1 ,greece1
 and ,cyprus2 and  7#f7 the statement of
 policy in section #bjc of the ,eastern 
,mediterranean ,security and ,energy    
,partnership ,act of #bjai 7#bb         
,u4,s4,c4 #bcgc note7 should guide the  
,secretary of ,state in promoting       
connectivity between ,india1 the ,middle
 ,east and ,europe1 including           
participation in the trilateral dialogue
 on energy1 maritime security1          
cybersecurity and protection of critical
 infrastructure conducted among ,israel1
 ,greece1 and ,cyprus4  #e4 ,diplomacy  
in ,eastern ,mediterranean region  7a7  
,strategic dialogues ,the ,secretary of 

,state may institutionalize multilateral
 strategic dialogues between the ,united
 ,states and ,,imec countries1 including
 dedicated formats with ,eastern        
,mediterranean countries1 with which the
 ,united ,states has a bilateral        
strategic dialogue4  7b7 ,prioritization
 of the ,eastern ,mediterranean ,the    
,secretary of ,state shall prioritize   
the ,eastern ,mediterranean region in   
,united ,states foreign policy1 focusing
 on energy security and defense         
cooperation with countries in such      
region4  #f4 ,reports and studies  7a7  
,report on implementation ,not later    
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act and annually     
thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,energy1  
in coordination with the ,secretary of  
,state1 shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report       
describing the implementation and effect
 of this ,act1 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 ,act4  7b7      
,report on multilateral initiatives ,not
 later than one year after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,state shall provide to   
the appropriate congressional committees
 a briefing on each multilateral        
initiative between the ,united ,states  
and ,,imec countries4  7c7 ,analysis of 
,cyprus ,centre for ,land1 ,open ,seas1 
and ,port ,security ,not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in 
coordination with the ,secretary of     
,homeland ,security1 shall analyze      
insights gained from the operation of   
the ,cyprus ,centre for ,land1 ,open    
,seas1 and ,port ,security as a         
potential model for broad-based         
multilateral cooperation4  7d7 ,study of
 program creation and expansion ,not    
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,state1 in consultation   

with the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall   
submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report describing the cost 
of1 steps to1 and feasibility of-- 7#a7 
creating bilateral programs with        
,eastern ,mediterranean countries       
modeled on bilateral programs between   
the ,united ,states and ,israel1        
including-- 7,a7 the ,binational        
,agriculture ,research and ,development 
,fund2  7,b7 the ,united ,states-,israel
 ,binational ,industrial ,research and  
,development ,foundation 7including     
projects relating to homeland security  
and cybersecurity72  7,c7 the ,united   
,states-,israel ,binational ,science    
,foundation2 and  7,d7 the ,united      
,states-,israel ,science and ,technology
 ,foundation2 and  7#b7 expanding       
bilateral programs between the ,united  
,states and ,israel1 including the      
programs listed in paragraph 7#a71 to   
include other ,eastern ,mediterranean   
countries and ,,imec countries4  #g4    
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        

,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,energy and ,natural ,resources and  
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of
 the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee  
on ,energy and ,commerce and the        
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7       
,eastern ,mediterranean country ,the    
term ,eastern ,mediterranean country    
means any of the following countries3   
7,a7 ,the ,arab ,republic of ,egypt4    
7,b7 ,the ,hellenic ,republic4  7,c7    
,the ,republic of ,cyprus4  7,d7 ,the   
,state of ,israel4  7#c7 ,,imec country 
,the term ,,imec country means any of   
the following countries3 7,a7 ,the      
,european ,union4  7,b7 ,the ,federal   
,republic of ,germany4  7,c7 ,the       
,french ,republic4  7,d7 ,the ,italian  
,republic4  7,e7 ,the ,kingdom of ,saudi
 ,arabia4  7,f7 ,the ,republic of       
,india4  7,g7 ,the ,united ,arab        
,emirates4  7,h7 ,the ,united ,states4  

7,i7 ,any other country that the        
,secretary of ,state designates as an   
,,imec country for purposes of this     
,act4