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20260920 073000 UTC
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[00:00:00] as President Trump's nominee to be the US Arctic ambassador at
[00:00:04] large. I'm grateful to President Trump and Secretary
[00:00:07] Rubio for their confidence in me, and I appreciate the committee's
[00:00:10] consideration of my nomination. I'm joined today by my
[00:00:14] husband Mike, sister Dina, stepdaughter Anderson, dear friend
[00:00:18] Michelle, former hostage Jiju Wang and his who
[00:00:22] was freeed from Iran after being held prisoner for three years and his wife
[00:00:26] Wa. I'm also joined by fellow veterans who I served with in.
[00:00:43] of
[00:00:47] of
[00:00:57] of held our family
[00:01:01] together, she taught us that America does not owe anyone easy
[00:01:04] path, but rewards grit, dedication, and a willingness to
[00:01:09] of serve. That lesson took me from a small Florida town in the United
[00:01:13] States Army. After September 11th, I served as a military
[00:01:16] intelligence officer,
[00:01:18] in deployed in support of operation enduring freedom and Iraqi
[00:01:21] freedom. I later served across three administrations, beginning
[00:01:25] with helping to establish the office
[00:01:26] of the director of national intelligence
[00:01:29] in at the State Department. I served as Deputy
[00:01:31] a Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources and later as deputy and acting
[00:01:35] special presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs. I later
[00:01:39] became Florida's first chief resilience officer. I was then appointed the 10th homeland
[00:01:43] security advisor to
[00:01:44] in the president where I was responsible for the Arctic, coordinating our national
[00:01:47] strategy for the region, working closely with the US coast guard and
[00:01:51] Navy to build our Arctic fleet and chairing National Security
[00:01:55] Council meetings on closing our Ice
[00:01:57] in breaker gap. I later served as a commission.
[00:02:25] a of
[00:02:30] of Our interests extend far beyond Alaska, the region is
[00:02:34] of central to the defense
[00:02:35] of the homeland, the
[00:02:37] of security
[00:02:37] of the North Atlantic, trusted supply chains,
[00:02:41] energy,
[00:02:42] of minerals, and the alliances that have long advanced American interests. It
[00:02:46] is also the frontier for American innovation. The high north
[00:02:50] is not only ice and shipping lanes, it is space awareness and missile
[00:02:54] warning from northern latitudes. It is undersea cables,
[00:02:57] communications and the data that moves. across them, it is
[00:03:01] whether the next generation of energy, computing, artificial
[00:03:05] intelligence is powered and connected by trusted American
[00:03:09] and allied systems, or by infrastructure built under the influence of
[00:03:13] our competitors. cold climates and energy potential
[00:03:17] can support advanced computing and data centers. polar orbits and
[00:03:21] of arctic ground stations already matter for space operations. if the United
[00:03:25] States does not lead in these areas, others will treat them as
[00:03:28] openings.
[00:03:30] of "a rapidly changing Arctic and longer periods of open water are changing the
[00:03:34] operating environment faster than our institutions have adapted.
[00:03:38] longer periods of open water may create
[00:03:40] of opportunities for maritime activity and American energy
[00:03:43] exports. They also stress the roads, ports,
[00:03:47] airfields, fuel systems and networks that enable military
[00:03:50] operations, investment, commerce, and community
[00:03:54] resilience. In
[00:03:56] a region of fast distance, the failure of a single node can have a strategic..."
[00:04:00] consequences. These are operational challenges. They
[00:04:04] affect
[00:04:06] of of readiness, mobility, search and rescue, disaster response, and our ability to act in
[00:04:09] a crisis. Our competitors
[00:04:13] of understand this:
[00:04:14] of Russia
[00:04:14] of continues to strengthen its military posture and infrastructure behind
[00:04:18] it. China is not an arctic nation, yet
[00:04:21] it is seeking long-term advantage through research, investment,
[00:04:25] technology and commercial projects with dual use
[00:04:28] potential. Secretary Rubio has warned that Beijing's
[00:04:32] pattern is to use commercial cover for
[00:04:34] in facilities that could later serve military purposes. Arctic shipping
[00:04:38] lanes will matter for exports, critical minerals trusted digital
[00:04:41] infrastructure,
[00:04:43] in space-related of access will shape competitiveness for decades. We cannot
[00:04:46] allow Moscow and Beijing to write the rules of this region by
[00:04:50] default. America's response must be nimble and
[00:04:54] effective. Advancing the administration's America first
[00:04:57] of priorities will be the core of our approach. Military strength
[00:05:01] is indispensable, but it is not enough. Lasting
[00:05:05] leadership also depends on diplomacy, economic
[00:05:08] statecraft, strong infrastructure,
[00:05:12] innovation.
[00:05:42] from our adversaries, it also means a steady eye on the
[00:05:46] security, military activity, economic deals,
[00:05:49] resources, cyber, science, and politics, so we are
[00:05:53] not surprised. if confirmed, I will work every day to
[00:05:57] strengthen our alliances, advance the interests the American
[00:06:00] people, counter those who would exploit the arctic against us and help
[00:06:04] keep the region secure, stable, prosperous and prepared.
[00:06:08] Thank you,
[00:06:09] and I welcome your questions. Thank you, Miss Neshrab.
[00:06:12] appreciate it uh, Mr.
[00:06:14] Gillen, chairman
[00:06:18] Rish, ranking member Shahin, distinguish
[00:06:21] members the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear
[00:06:25] before you today as President Trump's nominee to serve as the next United
[00:06:29] States ambassador to the Kirgize Republic, I am deeply
[00:06:33] honored to be considered for this role, public service has been
[00:06:37] the defining commitment of my career, and I do not take
[00:06:41] lightly the trust. the president or secretary and secretary
[00:06:44] rubio have placed in me, nor the
[00:06:48] responsibility this committee bears and advise and consenting to
[00:06:52] this nomination. if confirmed, I will
[00:06:55] bring to this post the same dedication to mission,
[00:06:59] integrity, accountability that has guided me
[00:07:02] throughout my time serving the American
[00:07:05] people. I am grateful for the chance to
[00:07:08] continue that service a region
[00:07:10] I believe is of growing, importance to our nation's security and
[00:07:14] prosperity. Before I go further, I would
[00:07:18] like to recognize my family, especially my wife
[00:07:21] Grace, is here with me
[00:07:24] here today, and has been all in with me for almost 25
[00:07:28] years. I remain ever grateful
[00:07:31] also to my late World War II generation
[00:07:34] grandparents raise me with their profound sense of
[00:07:38] duty and love of country, and who
[00:07:41] were very, very proud of me. for representing her country as an
[00:07:44] officer
[00:07:45] in the United States foreign service. my family support and
[00:07:48] sacrifice make this work possible and any success I
[00:07:52] have had in service to our country reflects their love and
[00:07:56] partnership as much as my own effort. I
[00:08:00] could not undertake this responsibility without them. As
[00:08:04] the Kiriges Republic celeb 35 years of independence, the
[00:08:08] United States has an opportunity to offer a transparent, mutually
[00:08:11] beneficial... partnership that advances the prosperity of both
[00:08:15] nations. this is not a new commitment, but one this
[00:08:18] administration is reinforced through sustained high-level engagement,
[00:08:22] including the historic C5+1 summit at the White
[00:08:26] House last November, which marked the platform's 10th
[00:08:30] anniversary and brought together President Trump, the leaders the
[00:08:33] central Asian countries. if confirm, if
[00:08:37] confirmed, I will work to hold, I will work to build this on this
[00:08:41] foundation, that means...
[00:09:42] never been clear, if confirmed, I will
[00:09:45] work tirelessly to protect and advance American
[00:09:49] interests, strengthen our bilateral relationship and ensure the United
[00:09:52] States becomes the partner of choice for the Kirges
[00:09:56] people. I look forward to answering the committee's
[00:09:59] questions. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
[00:10:03] Gullen, Miss Patel,
[00:10:07] Chairman Rish, Ranking member Shaheen, and distinguished members the
[00:10:10] committee. Thank you for the privilege. coming before you today as the
[00:10:14] president's nominee to serve as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo
[00:10:17] Verde. I deeply appreciate the confidence and trust President
[00:10:21] Trump and Secretary Rubio have shown in nominating me. If
[00:10:25] confirmed, I commit to working closely with Congress to advance our interests in
[00:10:29] Cabo Verde. I come from humble
[00:10:32] beginnings, raised to understand the importance of hard work,
[00:10:35] empathy, integrity and resilience. Even when times were
[00:10:39] tough, I always dreamed big. I am grateful for the family and friends
[00:10:43] here with me today, and those watching from afar who have shaped who I have
[00:10:47] become and why public service means so much to me.
[00:10:51] I also want to acknowledge my nearly two year old son, Adi,
[00:10:55] motivates me to be better each day. Cabo Verde is a
[00:10:58] small nation with an outsize story. Since gaining independence in
[00:11:02] 1975, it has become one of Africa's strongest
[00:11:05] democracies, reflected time after time through its peaceful transfers
[00:11:09] of power. Its government acts against officials who engage in
[00:11:13] corruption, and its laws provide freedom of expression, including for the
[00:11:17] press. Cob overday and leaders have shown remarkable
[00:11:20] resolve from interdicting multiton narcotic shipments in the Mid
[00:11:24] Atlantic. to standing firm against pressure from actors seeking to exploit
[00:11:28] its strategic location, and its people to people
[00:11:32] ties with the United States, dating back to the 18th century, has built a
[00:11:36] bond with America that spans generations. If
[00:11:39] confirmed, my highest priority will be the safety and security of US
[00:11:43] citizens in Cabo Verde, including the thousands who travel there for
[00:11:47] business, tourism or to spend holidays with loved ones and our mission
[00:11:50] team doing incredible work in praya. Part and parcel of
[00:11:54] support. the mission is ensuring our new embassy compound construction is
[00:11:58] on track for completion in 2029. i
[00:12:02] will also work to promote broad-based mutually beneficial economic
[00:12:05] development, encouraging US businesses to seize opportunities a market
[00:12:09] with a stable political environment and low corruption. i will
[00:12:13] advocate for American businesses and look forward to encouraging investment in
[00:12:17] infrastructure, tourism, fisheries and digital services and
[00:12:20] addressing barriers to us commercial success.
[00:12:25] I will prioritize our security partnership, particularly in maritime domain
[00:12:29] awareness. Cabo Verde is made up of 10 islands and
[00:12:33] eight islets within a maritime domain that is over 170 times
[00:12:36] larger than its actual land mass. This presents
[00:12:40] challenges to combat transnational crime, illegal fishing and narcotics
[00:12:44] trafficking. If confirmed, I will work to deepen our security
[00:12:48] efforts in support these areas of mutual
[00:12:51] concern. Finally, I would be remissed not to...
[00:12:55] mention that Cabo Verde made its first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup this
[00:12:58] year and became the smallest country ever to make it to the knockout round
[00:13:02] the tournament. It was moment of tremendous national pride for
[00:13:06] Cabo Verdans and brought this small nation into the American
[00:13:09] consciousness. I hope to build on this momentum to bring our two
[00:13:13] countries even closer together. If confirmed, I will work every
[00:13:17] day to to strengthen this vital partnership. Thank you, and I welcome your
[00:13:21] questions. Well, thank you, and thank you to the panel.
[00:13:25] Uh, we're going to do a round of questions, and uh, I'm going to start with
[00:13:28] myself, and then we'll go back and forth between the minority and the majority.
[00:13:32] Um, I'm going to start uh,
[00:13:35] with uh uh, Miss Neshuad. I'm,
[00:13:39] I'm the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee as well as being here, and we
[00:13:43] hear a lot, I mean a lot about the Arctic uh, in the
[00:13:47] Intelligence Committee. Um, I'm always impressed with the fact, and
[00:13:51] not in a good way, how little it gets covered in in the media.
[00:13:55] and uh particularly with the issues that are there, so this gives us an opportunity
[00:13:59] to highlight
[00:14:00] uh uh some of those issues, so I'm going to give you a minute if you'd like to talk about
[00:14:04] some the challenges and maybe drill down into an example or
[00:14:08] two as to why the artic is
[00:14:11] important and uh why we should take it as
[00:14:14] such. Thank you uh, Mr. Chairman for
[00:14:18] for that for that question and opportunity to really try to explain, I think you're
[00:14:22] exactly right, there's there's a a little
[00:14:24] bit of... lack of understanding and awareness with the general public when it comes to the
[00:14:28] strategic importance the arctic and and what this role would would
[00:14:32] encompass. um, as as I said earlier in my
[00:14:35] remarks,
[00:14:36] the the ice is melting in certain parts the Arctic, it is opening the navigation
[00:14:40] seaways, we're seeing increased traffic of Russian and Chinese
[00:14:44] ships, there's there's quite a bit of vulnerabilities and gaps up in the
[00:14:48] high north, we rely very heavily on our our
[00:14:51] fisheries, on on the salmon industry up in the Alaska region.
[00:14:55] and there's a lot of national security, economic uh
[00:14:59] security concerns when it when it comes to the high north, and being
[00:15:03] able to explain, I i'd say, especially from a public diplomacy standpoint will
[00:15:07] be, I think quite critical for this role and and this and this
[00:15:11] opportunity to serve, to really be able to explain that
[00:15:15] strategic importance when it comes to also countering the
[00:15:18] malig influence of China and Russia that that are in the
[00:15:21] region, opening opportunities to see what kind of access... we have when
[00:15:25] it comes to critical minerals and energy resources and then
[00:15:29] finally building those coalitions and those partnerships
[00:15:32] with arctic nations across the board and not
[00:15:36] just with the Arctic Council. but beyond that as well, we have lot of arctic
[00:15:40] observer states including Japan, ch,
[00:15:44] Korea, and India for example, so it is a
[00:15:47] global issue, when we think about what's happening in the world today, everyone focuses
[00:15:51] on certain choke points in the middle east and so forth, where where this
[00:15:55] the arctic can be truly new frontier if we put the right
[00:15:59] focus and capabilities behind it, thank you, well thank you, I think you've
[00:16:03] got that just right, it's going to continue to growing important.
[00:16:08] particularly is as the use in the navigation
[00:16:11] gets gets more use up
[00:16:14] there uh mr gillen um as noted i
[00:16:18] participated in that meeting at the at the request the
[00:16:21] president with the c5 plus one and i have to
[00:16:25] tell you i was was incredibly
[00:16:28] impressed i see people from all over the world from the 200
[00:16:31] countries and never saw much the
[00:16:35] c5 plus one uh but when um
[00:16:39] when the war started uh they they came to see me and wanted to
[00:16:43] underscore the fact that uh they didn't have anything to do with this and they
[00:16:47] didn't want to participate in that even though the Russians had uh
[00:16:51] strongly uh urged them to do so,
[00:16:55] but any event I was impressed when we had that meeting with
[00:16:58] them and I think saying that they have an interest in engaging
[00:17:02] with us is an understatement. I was I was really surprised at
[00:17:06] their enthusiasm. for wanting relationship with us
[00:17:10] uh economically and and every other way, so
[00:17:14] um, your thoughts on
[00:17:15] that. thank you,
[00:17:19] Mr. chairman, and for that for that
[00:17:22] question, but also thank you for your support and participation in the
[00:17:26] C5+1 summit. truth be told is throughout the my foreign service
[00:17:30] career, the most effective moments we had when when engaging partners
[00:17:34] and influencing those who were teetering back and forth between, us
[00:17:37] and maybe other powers throughout the world was when there
[00:17:41] were the the legislative branch and the executive branch put up a united front
[00:17:45] and they saw that there was no daylight between constitutional branches and
[00:17:49] saw where American policy was heading so thank you so much for
[00:17:52] President Trump's efforts to press forward and reinvigurate and and
[00:17:56] to maximize uh keyges republic's
[00:18:00] participation in the C5 uh format. it is difficult
[00:18:04] strategic context for the Kierise republic as you know
[00:18:07] 20% their economy is dependent on remittances from Russia
[00:18:11] and upwards of 90% and some estimates out open sources put it higher
[00:18:15] of fuel their fuel supplies are from
[00:18:19] Russia and Republic and
[00:18:21] so it's a difficult strategic context in some respects for the Kirise
[00:18:25] Republican and and what is essential to enabling them
[00:18:29] to be a trusted transparent sovereign partner
[00:18:33] our strong shows of American commitment to find ways to
[00:18:36] expand
[00:19:07] ili eur sa biksnom stopom. Šparka se
[00:19:11] bank. Za razliku od
[00:19:15] vas, mi smo samo umjetna inteligencija. Mi nemamo
[00:19:18] srce, ali vi imate neko računa na njega. Aspirin
[00:19:22] Protect 100 m. Preporučuje se osobama sa visokim i
[00:19:26] vrlo visokim rizikom od kardiovaskularnih bolesti, radi smanjenja
[00:19:30] rizika od akutnog srčanog moždanog udara. Prije upotrebe baživo pročitati uput o
[00:19:34] lijeku za obavijesti o indikacijama mjerama opreza nežljenim dejstvima na lijek posavjetujte se sarom. ili
[00:19:37] farmaceutom Bayer Samo u Fisu na
[00:19:41] odjelima kućnog tekstila potražite Jastuk
[00:19:44] 690 deka 25 20 plahte na
[00:19:47] gumu dostupne u više dimenzija već od 15 80
[00:19:51] satenske posteljine već od 48 maraka prekrivači
[00:19:55] već od 14,5 maraka. Kupujte sa zadovoljstvom.
[00:19:59] Fis. 25 godina
[00:20:02] povjerenja, više od 600.000 zadovoljnih pacijenata,
[00:20:06] 80. vrhunskih oftalmologa i najsuvremenija tehnologija,
[00:20:10] jamstvo su znanja i kvalitete. Zdravlje očiju povjerile su nam i
[00:20:14] najpoznatije svjetske zvijezde. Birajte i vi najbolje,
[00:20:18] posjetite nas u Zagrebu, Splitu, Sarajevu, Budvi i Skoplju.
[00:20:22] Klinika Svjetlost. Uštedi uz super
[00:20:25] bonbonijeru. Goveđi pršut premi. Uštedi
[00:20:29] 25%. Ajvar volim, uštedi 2
[00:20:33] km. Sladoled, uštedi 40%.
[00:20:36] Crvena jabuka. bolji izbor svaki dan već
[00:20:40] 40 godina, svaka štednja je korak
[00:20:44] ka cilju i pretvaras nove uzbilju, ko špara taj
[00:20:47] stvara, akcija oročine štednje u...
[00:20:57] Yeah, I appreciate that, I'm assuming you have had some discussions
[00:21:01] with
[00:21:02] uh uh ambassador gore, Sergio Gore, was the ambassador to
[00:21:06] India, but also the special envoy for the region that includes the C5. Am I
[00:21:10] correct on that? Sir, I have
[00:21:13] consultations lined up with him, but I've been engaging with his
[00:21:17] people, and look forward to... working with
[00:21:20] him as well as the secretary back at the SA
[00:21:23] Bureau um
[00:21:25] I appreciate that you're going to find him fully engaged in
[00:21:29] that envoy position that the president has given him he's he's
[00:21:33] ambassador of course to India right now but he is I can tell
[00:21:36] you uh uh heavily and deeply and
[00:21:39] wisely engaged uh in the C5 so you'll be
[00:21:43] well served in uh dealing with him as you proceed with
[00:21:47] your ambassador your amba ship to
[00:21:50] Kind, so with that, Senator Shaheen, thank you,
[00:21:54] Mr. Chairman, and I apologize for missing everyone's opening
[00:21:58] statements, I had
[00:21:59] a another briefing in the armed services committee that I had to go
[00:22:02] to, but
[00:22:04] to do it again, well, if you would like that, I'd be happy to
[00:22:08] listen, we got it on the record, hopefully I can,
[00:22:12] get some insights based on the questions to all of you, as
[00:22:16] I mentioned in my opening statement, Mr. Young, last week a Serbian.
[00:22:20] plane flew the body of Ratco
[00:22:23] Maladic from the Hague to Belgrade, and despite the fact
[00:22:27] that he was convicted by the international criminal tribunal
[00:22:31] former Yugoslavia of genocide and
[00:22:34] Trebra, what we saw was some government officials who attended
[00:22:38] his funeral and he was granted military honors, I think
[00:22:42] to see honors bestowed a convicted war
[00:22:45] criminal like that is outrageous and I think it's important
[00:22:50] for the US to be clear on what happened in
[00:22:53] trebranitza, so do you consider as the international
[00:22:57] criminal tribunal does, as the US congress does and as the US
[00:23:00] Holocaust Memorial Museum does, that what took place in
[00:23:04] Shrebritza was a
[00:23:05] genocide? Senator,
[00:23:09] thank you so much for your question, and your decades long work in that area
[00:23:12] laser tremendous ground work, I think for
[00:23:16] future work in Serbia, so thank you uh...
[00:23:20] Yes, what happens in Serbaniza as genocide
[00:23:24] is a historical and legal fact. Thank you,
[00:23:27] and if confirmed based on your answer, I assume
[00:23:31] you commit to affirming that, in your new
[00:23:34] role, should you be confirmed? Senator,
[00:23:38] yes, if confirmed, would certainly continue to aver
[00:23:41] that. Um, most recently, it was reported
[00:23:45] that Russian nationals responsible for the hybrid attack at
[00:23:49] Leipsig. report use Serbia um as means to
[00:23:53] return home, it underscores the growing
[00:23:56] concerns that Serbia's ties with Russia undermine European
[00:23:59] security, so if
[00:24:03] confirmed, how would you seek to put greater pressure on Serbia
[00:24:07] to sever its ties with Russia, um, so that
[00:24:11] it can support it stated interest in pursuing EU
[00:24:14] membership. Senator, thank you so
[00:24:18] much, that's a... difficult but important, very important
[00:24:22] question, I think there are number of ways in which one turns
[00:24:25] to enlighten Serbia about the
[00:24:28] disadvantages of deeper cooperation with Russia and the
[00:24:32] advantages of cooperation with the United States and I
[00:24:36] think there are number of variables in there that you want to address
[00:24:39] including helping them develop
[00:24:41] energy, reduce their energy independent or the
[00:24:45] dependency on Russia, I think is an important element of that,
[00:24:49] number two... I think is to work
[00:24:53] to um urge the Serbians to create
[00:24:57] a environment that allows American
[00:25:00] companies to compete fairly and to become even greater part
[00:25:04] the economic ecosystem of Serbia uh I think
[00:25:08] also deepening our conversations
[00:25:12] over military cooperation become an important element as
[00:25:15] well so those are all things that need to be done the more to be
[00:25:19] sure but certainly particular emphasis in those areas, I
[00:25:22] think is potentially helpful. Well, thank you, um,
[00:25:26] I think it was Wor Wilson who said that academic politics are the
[00:25:30] toughest, and so given your experience academia, hopefully you'll
[00:25:34] be prepared for the Balkans, because politics there are pretty tough as
[00:25:38] well. Um, Mr. Johnson,
[00:25:42] we passed, um, last year, the Western
[00:25:46] Balkans democracy and prosperity Act, um, which...
[00:25:50] requires the administration to sanction within 90 days any
[00:25:54] actors who are responsible for undermining peace, stability or
[00:25:58] territorial integrity in the Western Balkans, and yet
[00:26:01] nearly nine months. later, the administration has still not imposed
[00:26:05] any sanctions despite what appears to be clear
[00:26:09] sanctionable conduct, so for
[00:26:12] example, Miller Ad Dotic, again, who I referred to in my
[00:26:16] opening comments, attended the funeral of convicted war
[00:26:20] criminal
[00:26:22] Maladic, and he has advocated for the
[00:26:26] Republic of Serpska's independence, just four months after US
[00:26:30] sanctions on him were lifted, he said, I quote, you have to
[00:26:33] inflict some losses on the enemy every day, because he is your
[00:26:37] enemy, and Muslims, the Sarajevo political
[00:26:40] establishment and Muslim Sarajevo are our
[00:26:44] enemies, end of quote, so if
[00:26:48] confirmed, do you commit to reviewing the available
[00:26:52] intelligence and following very
[00:26:55] closely what's happening in the Republic of Serbsca and
[00:26:59] making recommendations on what we need to. do if
[00:27:03] there is ongoing rhetoric and action that
[00:27:05] undermines the law with respect to the western
[00:27:09] balcans integrity
[00:27:11] act. thank you senator, again i
[00:27:15] echo my colleague and thank you for your
[00:27:19] service, especially in the balcans, we're going to miss you next
[00:27:23] year when you're there. with that said, in respect
[00:27:26] toic,
[00:27:28] i think that at this stage right now, again we're a
[00:27:31] political. and rhetoric is on all
[00:27:34] sides is before next month's elections in
[00:27:38] Bosnia, but I can assure you senator if
[00:27:41] confirmed that I'll be a strong advocate
[00:27:44] for what was stated in the NDA and be able
[00:27:48] to provide uh our
[00:27:51] country accurate portrayal of exactly what is going
[00:27:55] on. Well, thank you, I appreciate that. I hope you will also make
[00:27:58] recommendations about how you think we should respond to what's going on.
[00:28:02] "I'm out of time, Mr. Chairman, but hopefully we will be able to do another round
[00:28:06] later. That uh usually happens, doesn't
[00:28:10] it? Senator Lee, thank you. Mr. Young, let's start with you,
[00:28:14] uh, one of your areas of expertise in in legal academia, and that you've
[00:28:18] also got have lot of experience in uh
[00:28:21] practice, in your previous government service involves international
[00:28:25] religious freedom, uh, one of your previous ambassadorial roles involved
[00:28:29] that in particular, you see any particular aspect." your
[00:28:32] service uh in Serbia that will benefit from that, and what do you think
[00:28:36] there are some the religious freedom issues you might confront
[00:28:39] there? uh, Senator Lee, thank you for that
[00:28:42] question, and recognition the importance of that
[00:28:45] issue, Serbia is, of
[00:28:49] course, predominantly Serbian orthodox,
[00:28:52] and strongly support the capacity of people in
[00:28:56] that context to worship freely in whatever way they think
[00:29:00] appropriate, at the... same time there are other religions
[00:29:04] as well, there's certainly adherents to Islam, there are other Christian
[00:29:08] faiths there as well, and if confirmed, I would certainly
[00:29:12] strongly urge the Serbian government to ensure that
[00:29:16] everybody have that capacity as they are obligated under
[00:29:20] the UN treaties to preserve uh
[00:29:24] freedom of thought, conscience and belief as well as freedom of
[00:29:27] assembly uh in all of its
[00:29:29] manifestations. I i would imagine that, many them,
[00:29:33] including their clurgy will be honored to know that one of our major establishment
[00:29:36] clause cases in the United States bears their name
[00:29:40] uh uh arising out of that church. I as chairman at the energy and natural
[00:29:44] resources committee, I'm always interested in energy issues around the
[00:29:47] world. um, anything there of interest to you on
[00:29:51] the energy front? uh, I think the uh, yes, senator, the
[00:29:55] energy front is very important at the moment, while on with respect
[00:29:59] to electrical energy, they are largely self-sufficient with about
[00:30:03] produced by coal and about 30% by
[00:30:05] hydroelectric, but over 80% their liquid
[00:30:09] natural natural gas is imported from
[00:30:12] Russia, and they also have
[00:30:16] Russian ownership their major energy company,
[00:30:19] those those issues
[00:30:21] need to be addressed, and if confirmed, I will certainly continue to
[00:30:25] urge that NIS be
[00:30:29] there be a change in ownership and control from Russian owner. and
[00:30:32] control to something else, which is under negotiation, as I understand
[00:30:36] it, addition, I think looking at completion of pipelines
[00:30:39] uh from the west that allow them to get energy
[00:30:43] sources become very important in terms their
[00:30:46] capacity to engage the
[00:30:49] west to the
[00:30:52] exclusion on occasion of Russia and other
[00:30:55] countries with somewhat less
[00:30:58] rable in and