A group of US congressmen do not want Belgrade to host the OSCE assembly

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers launched an initiative on Tuesday to move the 2027 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly from Belgrade to Charleston, South Carolina.

Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson will introduce a joint resolution in Congress, supported by 40 co-signatories, calling for Charleston to host the session. However, Belgrade's bid for the position is supported by several influential Republicans.

Charleston and Belgrade are candidates to host the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together parliamentary delegates from 57 member states, including the United States, Canada and several Central Asian countries. The organization has been largely preoccupied in recent years with the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While both sides cite logistical and organizational reasons for supporting their candidate, the disagreement is actually a reflection of a broader debate in Washington over relations with Serbia, which maintains close ties to both Moscow and the administration of President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

Some members of the US Congress believe that Washington should take a tougher stance towards Belgrade due to Serbia's strong economic and energy ties with Russia and its refusal to join Western sanctions against Moscow.

Others, on the other hand, emphasize that cooperation with the Serbian government should continue so that the country, which wants to join the European Union, can gradually harmonize with the West.

Wilson, who is co-chair of the US Congressional Helsinki Commission, said holding the hearing in Charleston would demonstrate the US commitment to the OSCE and its members.

He also criticized Serbia for its stance on Kosovo, whose independence was recognized by Washington, while Belgrade has yet to do so.

Among the co-signatories of the resolution is William Keating, the top Democrat on the European subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Keating said the annual session should be held in the US in order to highlight Washington's important role in multilateral institutions.

Wilson noted that Charleston's offer is opposed by Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the lead senator on the Helsinki Commission.

According to Wilson, Wicker believed that Congress might not approve the money to hold the rally in Charleston, but Wilson rejected this assessment.

It is not clear whether Congress will discuss the resolution at all, because in a few days the representatives will go on summer vacation that will last until September.