Shaheen Leads Bipartisan Congressional Stop to Hungary, with Further Travel to Moldova and Türkiye to Engage with Allies and Partners, Reinforce Strength of and Support for NATO

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees and Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, is leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Hungary, Moldova and Türkiye to engage with partners and allies and reinforce U.S. support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Shaheen-led delegation comes on the heels of the Munich Security Conference and follows U.S. Senate passage of the national security supplemental funding bill. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined the first leg of the visit to Hungary, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) will join Shaheen in all three countries.  

“As we approach the second anniversary of Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, it’s imperative that we work with our allies and partners in the region to ensure we bolster our collective security,” said Senator Shaheen. “That means strengthening NATO—it's important we hold our allies and partners accountable and work with them to further strengthen the most successful military alliance in history. Following the Senate’s passage of the national security supplemental funding, these visits provide us with the opportunity to reaffirm America’s commitment to our partners and allies at such a critical time.” 

“As co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group with Senator Shaheen, I want to thank Hungary for hosting our bipartisan delegation to strengthen the relationship between our two countries and discuss the importance of Sweden’s quick accession to NATO,” said Senator Tillis. “Sweden is a committed ally who has a strong commitment to democracy, and it is imperative that Hungary upholds its public commitments to strengthen our NATO alliance and counter the growing aggression of our adversaries.” 

“I’m glad to be joining this bipartisan congressional delegation in Hungary, Moldova, and Turkey. Hungary and Turkey are both important NATO allies and I look forward to discussing ways to strengthen the alliance,” said Senator Murphy. “While we have differences on several issues, it’s critical that we maintain a dialogue on national security matters while speaking directly about our concerns. I also look forward to meeting with President Sandhu in Chi?in?u and reaffirming U.S. support for Moldova and her government’s pro-reform agenda.”

Shaheen has led bipartisan Congressional delegations to the NATO Summits in Vilnius 2023 and Madrid 2022. Last year, Shaheen and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) traveled to the Western Balkans to engage with partners amid continued Russian Interference and to convey support for their Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Shaheen has traveled to the Western Balkans to serve as an election monitor for the Bosnia and Herzegovina elections, which followed a separate trip to the region with both Senators Murphy and Tillis.  Shaheen leads bipartisan efforts in the Senate in support of the transatlantic Alliance as Sweden seeks accession into NATO. Shaheen and Tillis recently applauded Türkiye’s Parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession protocols and have urged Hungary to do the same. Last year, Shaheen and Tillis met with the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to commend Türkiye’s contributions to NATO’s and European security. Earlier this month, Shaheen and Tillis, Co-Chairs of the U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group, issued a joint statement calling on Hungary to immediately approve NATO accession protocols for Sweden. 

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