September 11, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 157 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
ONGOING TRANSATLANTIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 157
(Extensions of Remarks - September 11, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E832-E833] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ONGOING TRANSATLANTIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ______ HON. RICHARD HUDSON of north carolina in the house of representatives Friday, September 11, 2020 Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to update my Congressional colleagues on my continued consultations with transatlantic partners to address critical challenges in European security. On September 2nd, I joined a video meeting of the leadership of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), in my capacity as Chairman of that body's Committee on Political Affairs and Security. The meeting included about one dozen parliamentarians from across Europe. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi also participated in the discussion. The news of the confirmed poisoning of Russian political figure Alexey Navalny broke during our meeting, and I am pleased to report that my colleagues and I immediately agreed to unanimously condemn this heinous act, whose origins can be traced directly to the Putin regime. There are now reports that some in Germany are reconsidering the Nordstream 2 pipeline deal with Russia. I have long argued against this project in the Parliamentary Assembly on grounds that it jeopardizes Europe's energy security. The Assembly's leadership continues to monitor the deeply concerning developments in Belarus in the wake of the falsification of the results of the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9. Detentions and brutal treatment of protesters, members of the media, and bystanders continues unabated even as the Belarusian people rise in defense of their fundamental rights, rights the Belarusian government has pledged itself to uphold under the Helsinki Final Act. I am honored to represent the U.S. Congress in discussions with our European partners as we try to encourage a peaceful and democratic way forward for the people of Belarus. Among the other issues under discussion was the outbreak of fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in mid-July and the role that regional powers may be playing in the tense security situation. We agreed that the parties should continue to look for ways to de- escalate, and to resume negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Assembly has generally backed the work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the agreed international format for addressing the conflict; the [[Page E833]] Co-chairs have called for all sides to refrain from provocative statements and actions. We were asked to look into troubling reports that, following the devastating August 4th Beirut port explosion, de facto Armenian authorities in Nagorno Karabakh are resettling displaced Lebanese Armenians to disputed or occupied territories. While any reasonable person witnessing that horrible event would welcome the Armenian Government's efforts to provide relief and resettlement support to displaced Lebanese Armenians, I fear that resettlement in disputed or occupied territory could damage prospects for a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Assembly's leadership agreed to consider additional steps it could take towards supporting peaceful resolution of this conflict. The OSCE, including the Parliamentary Assembly, engages in election observation efforts, primarily with the goal of encouraging good practices in countries still in the process of democratic transition. In Montenegro during the last week of August, the Assembly deployed its first observation mission since the pandemic struck. I welcomed that effort in our NATO ally, not only to strengthen the democratic institutions that fundamental to NATO membership but also to support that country as it faces malign outside influences, including from Russia. The OSCE also intends to observe our general elections in November, demonstrating that all countries, not just those in transition, should be open to observation and willing to consider ways to improve their respective electoral processes. I noted the extensive debates we Americans have on this same subject, including now the issue of mail-in voting. In discussing the situation in the United States, I made an effort to note that our country is facing challenges but is still strong. I believe it is important to present a complete picture that counters perceptions of a more dire situation when viewed across the Atlantic, as well as malign messaging that seeks to separate us from our friends and allies. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Madam Speaker, provides Members of Congress with a unique, bipartisan opportunity to work with our friends and allies to help resolve pressing global issues while promoting our shared values. Because it also includes delegations from Russia, Belarus and other countries who disregard the OSCE commitments to which they gave their consent regarding democratic government and respect for human rights, it is also uniquely suited to speaking to their representatives directly and making clear that their behavior is unacceptable and negatively affects our bilateral relationships. Madam Speaker, I hope all my colleagues agree and join me today in condemning Lukashenko's cruel repressions in Belarus and the Putin regime's sinister efforts to silence its critics, as well as in recognizing the importance of continued Congressional engagement with the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE as a means to address these important matters. ____________________