Boise City Wire

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jim Risch have shared insights following their participation in the Munich Security Conference. The senators, who hold key positions on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in addressing global security challenges.

Senator Shaheen expressed her appreciation for attending the conference with Chairman Risch. "Throughout the conference, we engaged with foreign leaders and allies from Europe, including many NATO allies, as well as South Korea, to discuss global challenges and find common ground," she stated. She also participated in a panel discussion with President Zelenskyy focusing on support for Ukraine. "It was a productive weekend of important conversations about our shared values with our allies and how we can continue strengthening alliances," Shaheen added.

Chairman Risch highlighted the significance of reinforcing commitments to global security after his discussions at the conference. He remarked, "I feel more confident in our shared commitment to global security." However, he noted that more efforts are required from European allies to tackle various threats. "In the face of attacks from our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran, we must all double down on our commitment to collective defense," Risch commented.

During their time at the conference, Senators Shaheen and Risch attended several meetings together on a bipartisan basis. They focused on enhancing U.S. cooperation with allies to advance strategic interests and counter mutual adversaries.

Among those they met were David Lammy from the UK, Jens Stoltenberg of NATO, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu, EU representative Kaja Kallas, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani, Bosnian Presidency member Denis Becirovic, Syrian Transitional Government's Asaad al-Shibani, Friedrich Merz of Germany's Christian Democratic Union party, and Finland's Alexander Stubb.