[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 336 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 336

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the continued participation of 
the Russian Federation in the Group of 8 nations should be conditioned 
  on the Russian Government voluntarily accepting and adhering to the 
                   norms and standards of democracy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2003

Mr. Lantos (for himself and Mr. Cox) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the continued participation of 
the Russian Federation in the Group of 8 nations should be conditioned 
  on the Russian Government voluntarily accepting and adhering to the 
                   norms and standards of democracy.

Whereas the countries that comprise the Group of 7 nations are pluralistic 
        societies with democratic political institutions and practices, 
        committed to the observance of universally recognized standards of human 
        rights, respect for individual liberties, and democratic political 
        practices;
Whereas in 1991 and subsequent years, the leaders of the Group of 7 nations, 
        heads of the governments of the major free-market economies of the world 
        who meet annually in a summit meeting, invited then-Russian President 
        Boris Yeltsin to a post-summit dialogue;
Whereas in 1998, the leaders of the Group of 7 nations formally invited the 
        president of Russia to participate in an annual gathering that 
        subsequently was known as the Group of 8 nations, although the Group of 
        7 nations have continued to hold informal summit meetings and 
        ministerial meetings that do not include the Russian Federation;
Whereas the invitation to President Yeltsin to participate in the annual summits 
        was in recognition of the commitment of President Yeltsin to 
        democratization and economic liberalization, despite the fact that the 
        Russian economy remained weak and the commitment of the Russian 
        Government to democratic principles was uncertain;
Whereas under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Government 
        has attempted to control the activities of independent media 
        enterprises, nongovernmental organizations, religious organizations, and 
        other pluralistic elements of Russian society in an attempt to mute 
        criticism of the government;
Whereas the suppression by the Russian Government of independent media 
        enterprises has resulted in widespread government control and influence 
        over the media in Russia, stifling freedom of expression and individual 
        liberties that are essential to any functioning democracy;
Whereas the arrest and prosecution of prominent Russian business leaders who had 
        supported the political opposition to President Putin are examples of 
        selective application of the rule of law for political purposes;
Whereas the courts of Great Britain, Spain, and Greece have consistently ruled 
        against extradition warrants issued by the Russian Government after 
        finding that the cases presented by the Prosecutor General of the 
        Russian Federation have been inherently political in nature;
Whereas Russian military forces continue to commit brutal atrocities against the 
        civilian population in Chechnya;
Whereas the rise to influence within the Russian Government of unelected 
        security officials from the KGB of the former Soviet Union is 
        increasingly undermining the Russian Government's commitment to 
        democratic principles, accountability, and transparency;
Whereas a wide range of observers at think tanks and nongovernmental 
        organizations have expressed deep concern that the Russian Federation is 
        moving away from the political and legal underpinnings of a market 
        economy; and
Whereas the continued participation of the Russian Federation in the Group of 8 
        nations, including the Russian Government's opportunity to host the G-8 
        summit in 2006 as planned, is a privilege that is premised on the 
        Russian Government voluntarily accepting and adhering to the norms and 
        standards of democracy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the selective prosecution of political opponents and 
        the suppression of free media by the Russian Federation, and 
        the continued commission of widespread atrocities in the 
        conduct of the brutal war in Chechnya, do not reflect the 
        minimum standards of civilized nations that characterize every 
        other member state in the Group of 8;
            (2) the continued participation of the Russian Federation 
        in the Group of 8 nations, including the Russian Government's 
        opportunity to host the G-8 summit in 2006 as planned, should 
        be conditioned on the Russian Government voluntarily accepting 
        and adhering to the norms and standards of free, democratic 
        societies as generally practiced by every other member nation, 
        including--
                    (A) the rule of law, including protection from 
                selective prosecution and protection from arbitrary 
                state-directed violence;
                    (B) a court system free of political influence and 
                manipulation;
                    (C) a free and independent media;
                    (D) a political system open to participation by all 
                citizens and which protects freedom of expression and 
                association; and
                    (E) the protection of universally recognized human 
                rights; and
            (3) the President of the United States and the Secretary of 
        State should work with the other members of the Group of 7 to 
        take all necessary steps to suspend the participation of the 
        Russian Federation in the Group of 8 nations until the 
        President, after consultation with the other members of the 
        Group of 7, determines and reports to Congress that the Russian 
        Government is committed to respecting and upholding the 
        democratic principles described in paragraph (2).
                                 <all>