[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 5 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 5

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the extension of membership in 
the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 to certain democracies of Central and 
Eastern Europe is essential to the consolidation of enduring peace and 
                          stability in Europe.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 1997

  Mr. Roth (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lugar, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
   Hagel, Mr. McCain, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Enzi, and Ms. Moseley-Braun) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the extension of membership in 
the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 to certain democracies of Central and 
Eastern Europe is essential to the consolidation of enduring peace and 
                          stability in Europe.

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a community of 
        democracies that continues to play a critical role in addressing the 
        security challenges of the post-Cold War era and in creating an 
        environment of enduring peace and stability in Europe;
Whereas NATO remains the only security alliance with both real defense 
        capabilities and transatlantic membership;
Whereas the North Atlantic Council held a ministerial meeting on December 10, 
        1996, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and--
            (1) decided to hold a summit meeting on July 8 and 9, 1997, during 
        which it will extend invitations to accession negotiations to one or 
        more countries that have participated in the process of intensified 
        dialogue with NATO;
            (2) established for the North Atlantic Alliance the goal of 
        welcoming one or more new members by the time of the Alliance's fiftieth 
        anniversary in 1999;
            (3) announced that the Council seeks to reach agreement with the 
        Russian Federation on arrangements that would widen and deepen the 
        current relationship between the Russian Federation and NATO in order to 
        enhance security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area; and
            (4) announced its commitment to further developing and reinforcing a 
        distinctive and effective relationship with Ukraine;
Whereas Congress has repeatedly endorsed, with bipartisan majorities, the 
        enlargement of NATO through the enactment of legislation that includes 
        the NATO Participation Act of 1994, the NATO Participation Act 
        Amendments of 1995, and the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996;
Whereas the North Atlantic Assembly, a multinational body composed of 
        delegations from the 16 signatory nations of the North Atlantic Treaty, 
        has called for the Alliance to welcome new members through the adoption 
        of resolutions, including Resolution 255 (1994) entitled ``NATO 
        Partnership for Peace and the Enlargement Process'', Resolution 268 
        (1996) entitled ``On a Wider Alliance for Enhanced Stability and 
        Freedom'', and Resolution 271 (1996) entitled ``Toward the 1997 NATO 
        Summit'';
Whereas the enlargement of NATO, a defensive alliance, threatens no nation and 
        reinforces peace and stability in Europe, the enlargement of NATO would 
        provide benefits to all nations;
Whereas NATO has extended its membership to additional nations on three 
        different occasions since its founding in 1949; and
Whereas the new members of the North Atlantic Alliance must assume all the 
        rights and obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at 
        Washington on April 4, 1949: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) regards the political independence and territorial 
        integrity of the emerging democracies in Central and Eastern 
        Europe as vital to European peace and security and, thus, to 
        the interests of the United States;
            (2) endorses the goal established by the North Atlantic 
        Council to welcome one or more new members by the time of the 
        fiftieth anniversary of the North Atlantic Alliance in 1999;
            (3) calls upon the Alliance to extend invitations to 
        accession negotiations to those nations who seek membership in 
        NATO and who are ready to make a net contribution to the 
        Alliance's security by 1999, including Poland, the Czech 
        Republic, Hungary and Slovenia;
            (4) endorses the commitment of the North Atlantic Council 
        further to develop and reinforce a distinctive and effective 
        relationship between the Alliance and Ukraine;
            (5) endorses the pledge of the North Atlantic Council that 
        the Alliance will remain open to the accession of further 
        members in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty;
            (6) endorses the Alliance's decision to seek a charter with 
        Russia that reflects the common interest that Russia and the 
        Alliance have in reinforcing enduring peace and stability in 
        Europe;
            (7) calls upon the President to fully use his offices to 
        facilitate the objectives and commitments described in 
        paragraphs (2) through (6); and
            (8) reserves the right of advice and consent to the 
        ratification of treaties and pledges seriously and responsibly 
        to review the results of accession negotiations between the 
        North Atlantic Council and prospective NATO members.
    Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
concurrent resolution to the President.
                                 <all>