H.R. 2510 — American-Hellenic-Israeli Eastern Mediterranean Counterterrorism and Maritime Security Partnership Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the strategic importance of U.S. bilateral partnerships with Israel (a Major Non-NATO Ally since 1987), Greece (a NATO ally spending 3.08% of GDP on defense in 2024), and the Republic of Cyprus, including defense cooperation agreements (e.g., Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with Israel in 1952; Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement with Greece in 1990), joint military exercises (e.g., Juniper Oak with Israel; Iniochos with Greece), counterterrorism coordination, and multilateral ties under the 3+1 structure established by the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019.

This section establishes a statement of U.S. policy to (1) create a security subcomponent of the "3+1" structure among the United States, Israel, Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus; (2) expand strategic engagement with those countries on counterterrorism and maritime security; (3) increase support for their joint counterterrorism and maritime security exercises; (4) increase U.S. participation in their multilateral dialogues on those topics; (5) increase support for their participation in the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program; (6) expand U.S. support for counterterrorism initiatives at C.Y.C.L.O.P.S. (Cyprus Center for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security) in Cyprus and deepen cooperation with Cyprus on counterterrorism and maritime security; (7) expand U.S. support for maritime security initiatives at the Greek Souda Naval Base and deepen cooperation with Greece on those topics; (8) support expanded International Military Education and Training (IMET) programming with those countries to increase U.S. interoperability; (9) encourage counterterrorism, border, and maritime security investments in those countries; and (10) increase counterterrorism intelligence sharing and maritime domain awareness cooperation with those countries.

This section establishes the Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and the United States Interparliamentary Eastern Mediterranean Security Cooperation Group as a security-focused legislative subcomponent of the 3+1 interparliamentary group under Section 1316 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. The group consists of up to 6 Senators and 6 House Members—including 2 from appropriate congressional committees—appointed jointly by Senate and House leaders; it must meet at least twice annually with parliamentary counterparts from Israel, Cyprus, and Greece to discuss counterterrorism and maritime security.

This section establishes the Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and United States Interexecutive Eastern Mediterranean Security Cooperation Group as a security-focused executive component to the “3+1” structure (i.e., trilateral cooperation among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus with the United States). The group includes one designated officer each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Homeland Security—responsibilities for which may be assigned to existing officers—and requires meetings not less than twice annually with Israeli, Cypriot, and Greek executive counterparts to discuss counterterrorism and maritime security.

This section establishes a counterterrorism training program, to be known as the Counterterrorism Education for Readiness Building in the East-Mediterranean Region to Unify Security Program (CERBERUS), to be conducted by the Secretary of Defense in coordination with the Secretary of State at the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security (if the Republic of Cyprus agrees) for the purpose of increasing counterterrorism cooperation and interoperability between the United States, Israel, Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus. The program shall be available to ministry, agency, and headquarters-level organizations of those countries and shall promote respect for legitimate civilian authority in recipient countries. The Secretaries shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees (1) an implementation report on the program's status within 180 days of enactment and every 180 days thereafter until the program is established and available to the four countries; (2) a report on the training structure within 90 days after that determination; and (3) annual briefings thereafter on program results.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to create a training program at the Greek Souda Naval Base—provided Greece agrees—designated as the Training and Readiness Initiative for Regional East-Mediterranean Maritime-Security Enforcement (TRIREME), to increase maritime security cooperation and interoperability among the United States, Israel, Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus. The section requires making the training available to ministry, agency, and headquarters-level organizations of those countries and including elements that promote respect for legitimate civilian authority in recipient countries. It further requires (1) implementation reports to appropriate congressional committees every 180 days, beginning 180 days after enactment, until the training is established and available; (2) a report on the training structure, due 90 days after that determination; and (3) annual briefings thereafter on training results.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than one year after enactment of this Act, (1) a strategy on enhanced counterterrorism cooperation with Israel, Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus and (2) a strategy on enhanced maritime security cooperation with those countries. Both strategies must be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.

This section eliminates certain limitations and exclusions on defense articles and requirements on security assistance and sales to the Republic of Cyprus by (1) amending Section 1250A of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (a note to 22 U.S.C. 2373) to revise the heading to “Sense of Congress regarding,” restructure subsection (a) as a standalone sense of Congress statement, and strike subsections (b) through (d); and (2) striking subsections (d) and (e) of Section 620C of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2373). (Thus, these changes remove prior statutory restrictions on U.S. defense articles, security assistance, and sales to Cyprus.)

This section authorizes appropriations to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the governments of Cyprus and Greece as follows: (1) $5 million to DoD for facilities and equipment at the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security for counterterrorism training under section 9—which facilities and equipment are then made available to Cyprus—and $2 million annually to Cyprus for FY2026 through 2029 for center support; (2) $1.5 million annually to DoD for FY2026 through 2029 for the training program under section 8; (3) $1.5 million annually to DoD for FY2026 through 2029 for the training program under section 9; (4) $1 million annually for FY2026 through 2029 for International Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance to Israel, $250,000 to Greece, and $250,000 to Cyprus to enhance interoperability, joint operations, and counterterrorism and maritime security education; and (5) $5 million to DoD for facilities and equipment at the Greek Souda Naval Base for maritime security training under section 9—which facilities and equipment are then made available to Greece—and $2 million annually to Greece for FY2026 through 2029 for facility support.

This section defines the term “appropriate congressional committee” to mean (1) the House Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security; and (2) the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.