[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATING PRESIDENT PIA KAUMA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2023

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the U.S. 
Helsinki Commission, last week I was grateful to serve as part of the 
leadership of the U.S. delegation to the 30th Annual Session of the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary 
Assembly in Vancouver, Canada. There, I was joined by several of my 
Helsinki Commission colleagues, including Co-Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin 
and Ranking Members Rep. Steve Cohen and Sen. Roger Wicker.
  The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's 
Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) is a forum that gathers hundreds of 
parliamentarians from 56 participating States of the OSCE several times 
a year to discuss the most pressing issues facing the transatlantic 
community. The Annual Session is the centerpiece of the Assembly's work 
and is the one time a year when parliamentarians meet to debate, amend, 
and adopt resolutions on a range of topics as well as elect the 
Assembly's leadership.
  Participating in the OSCE PA is an opportunity to demonstrate the 
American leadership on the world stage. Over the course of this Annual 
Session, we shared our diverse views, but our overwhelming message was 
about the unified, bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for Ukraine 
in its fight to defend its democracy and sovereignty against flagrant 
Russian aggression. Our friends in Canada and Europe deeply appreciated 
this reassurance of America's resolve.
  The U.S. delegation participated in bilateral meetings with 
parliamentary delegations from Ukraine, Canada, and Germany, as well as 
a visiting delegation of legislators from the Western Hemisphere. My 
colleagues and I introduced amendments and resolutions encouraging our 
friends and allies to adopt specific policies that reflect our work in 
the U.S. Congress. Among these were texts based on the Ukraine Victory 
Resolution and the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act, both 
which I have sponsored in the House. Furthermore, I introduced a 
resolution with Congressman Chris Smith on addressing the phenomena of 
abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking of Ukrainian women and 
children stemming from Russia's war. The AssembJy overwhelmingly 
adopted all these U.S.-led initiatives.
  Looking forward, I would like to congratulate those in the recent 
OSCE PA elections who will be assuming leadership duties for the coming 
year, while also thanking those who have ended their mandates. First, I 
want to applaud the election of Mrs. Pia Kauma of Finland as President 
of the Assembly. Mrs. Kauma has a long history of important 
contributions and strong relationships within the Assembly that will 
serve her well in this critical role. Additionally, I believe it is 
fitting that the PA should be led someone from NATO's newest allied 
nation, galvanized by aggression to assume greater responsibility for 
European security. I also congratulate the Assembly's three newly 
elected Vice Presidents: Mrs. Daniela De Ridder of Germany, Mr. Mykyta 
Poturaiev of Ukraine, and Mr. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni of Cyprus. I am 
especially delighted by the selection of Mr. Poturaiev whose voice has 
become the conscience of the Assembly since the outbreak of Russia's 
full-scale invasion of his country last year. It is important to have 
greater Ukrainian representation in the Assembly's upper ranks.
  I also extend my congratulations to the newly elected Treasurer, 
Mr.Johan Buser of Sweden, and officers of the three general committees: 
First Committee Chair, Mr. Richard Hudson of the United States, First 
Committee Vice-Chair Mr. Costel Neculai Dunava of Romania, First 
Committee Rapporteur Mr. Laurynas Kasciunas of Lithuania, Second 
Committee Chair Mr. Azay Guliyev of Azerbaijan, Second Committee Vice-
Chair Mr. Artur Gerasymov of Ukraine, Second Committee Rapporteur Mrs. 
Gudrun Kugler of Austria, Third Committee Chair Mrs. Lucie Potuckova of 
the Czech Republic, Third Committee Vice-Chair Mr. Sargis Khandanyan of 
Armenia, and Third Committee Rapporteur Mr. Malik Ben Achour of 
Belgium. Finally, I thank outgoing President Margareta Cederfelt of 
Sweden for her two years of tireless service to the Assembly, which 
involved capably leading the organization through the twin crises of 
COVID-19 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
  This team of elected officers that span the European continent and 
the political spectrum are assuming office at a critical time for 
transatlantic and global security. I look forward to cooperating with 
them closely in the coming year, particularly as I assume the 
responsibility of Head of Delegation for the United States in 2024.
  I want to express my deep appreciation to our Canadian hosts at the 
Annual Session in Vancouver, British Columbia, especially Dr. Hedy Fry, 
Head of the Canadian Delegation, who demonstrated tremendous 
hospitality and outstanding organization in orchestrating this large 
and complex event. The natural beauty, personal warmth, and cultural 
diversity we experienced in Vancouver made for an ideal setting for our 
meeting.