A group of US lawmakers are demanding that the annual meeting of some 57 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) be held in South Carolina, rather than in Serbia, highlighting a disagreement between Republicans in Congress and Washington's complex relations with the Balkan country, Reuters reported.
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson will introduce a joint resolution with 40 co-sponsors to Congress on Friday calling for the OSCE's 2027 annual session to be held next summer in Charleston, South Carolina, instead of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which is favored by other high-profile Republicans.
Both cities are candidates to host the annual meeting of member states from Europe, Central Asia and North America, a grouping that has focused in recent years on managing the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
American lawmakers have presented various arguments for their preferred location.
The dispute between them speaks to a broader debate in Washington regarding Serbia, which has close ties to both Moscow and the Trump administration, Reuters further writes.
Some lawmakers, frustrated by Belgrade's deep economic ties with Russia, have called for a tougher stance on Serbia, which is a major buyer of Russian energy and has refused to join Western sanctions against the US adversary.
Other lawmakers have stressed the need for continued engagement with the Serbian government so that the country, which aspires to join the European Union, is fully aligned with the West.
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Serbia warns of diplomatic offensive against Kosovo at the UN
In an interview, Wilson criticized Serbia for its hostile stance towards Kosovo, a US ally.
Lawmakers co-sponsoring Wilson's resolution include William Keating, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Europe subcommittee, who has publicly criticized the Serbian government for various reasons.
In a statement, Keating said the annual session should be held in the US "to highlight the important role the United States must play in multilateral institutions."
