Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar met with a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives
09.08.2024
– I would like to thank the House of Representatives and all members of Congress for their cooperation and support for the reforms being carried out by the current government in Poland, – said Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar during today's (August 9, 2024) meeting with a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Justice at the request of the American side.
The congressional delegation included: delegation leader Hal Rogers, as well as Tom Cole, Chuck Fleischmann, Jake LaTurner, Mike Flood, Andrew Garbarino from the Republican Party, and Marcy Kaptur from the Democratic Party.
On the Polish side, the meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marek Prawda, Deputy Minister of Justice Maria Ejchart, and Deputy Public Prosecutor General Jacek Bilewicz.
The representatives of Congress were particularly interested in the legal, social, and humanitarian situation in Ukraine as seen from a Polish perspective, as well as the support and assistance provided by Poland to that country. The guests expressed their appreciation for the Polish authorities and society for their immense support of Ukraine defending itself against Russian aggression. They especially thanked Poland for accepting over a million refugees, mainly children, women, and the elderly. – Poland is a valuable and trusted ally of the United States, – emphasized the leader of the congressional delegation, Hal Rogers.
– There is an urgent need to establish an International Tribunal tasked with judging those responsible for Russia's aggression against Ukraine, – stressed the Minister of Justice, appealing to the representatives of the House of Representatives for support of this proposal.
The effective prosecution of the perpetrators of crimes and war crimes requires international cooperation. The National Prosecutor's Office is documenting crimes committed in Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia's aggression, the Ministry of Justice has been taking actions aimed at identifying, arresting, prosecuting, and judging the perpetrators of crimes committed there. These include war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, as well as crimes against the natural environment.
– The main problem in the coming fall and winter will be energy supplies for the residents of Ukraine, – pointed out Minister Adam Bodnar in response to a question regarding the biggest current challenges in providing assistance to Ukraine.
– Ukrainians are fighting for universal values and human rights, – emphasized Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marek Prawda. He added that the conflict in Ukraine has taught us a lot, both Poland and the EU and NATO member states. Defense spending has significantly increased in European countries, particularly among the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The main challenge is to strengthen European and Euro-Atlantic unity, enabling effective resistance to Russia's aggressive policies. In this context, he pointed out the importance of European cooperation, with the best example being the revival of activity within the Weimar Triangle, a form of close cooperation between Poland, France, and Germany.
Deputy Minister of Justice Maria Ejchart, speaking at the meeting, pointed out that the history of Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February 2022 has become a part of our daily history. She also highlighted the close and good Polish-Ukrainian cooperation in the field of justice, especially the effective cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian penitentiary services.