[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 86 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 86

Congratulating the people and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
   on the twelfth anniversary of the independence of Kazakhstan and 
  praising the longstanding and growing friendship between the United 
                         States and Kazakhstan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 25, 2003

   Ms. Landrieu (for herself and Mr. Burns) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Congratulating the people and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
   on the twelfth anniversary of the independence of Kazakhstan and 
  praising the longstanding and growing friendship between the United 
                         States and Kazakhstan.

Whereas, on December 16, 2003, the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan will 
        celebrate 12 years of independence, and on December 25, 2003, the United 
        States and Kazakhstan will mark the 12th anniversary of diplomatic 
        relations between the two countries;
Whereas Kazakhstan in a short period of time has managed to shed totalitarian 
        shackles and become a dynamically developing civil society in which 
        public and private institutions are strong, effective democratic 
        mechanisms and the rule of law are established, and basic human rights 
        are respected;
Whereas Kazakhstan, an open country where citizens of more than 100 ethnic 
        groups enjoy equal rights and opportunities, made a significant 
        contribution to promoting global peace and harmony by hosting in 
        September 2003 the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions, 
        which brought together leaders of world religions seeking to bridge 
        religious differences;
Whereas the Government of Kazakhstan has toughened legislation and taken other 
        concrete steps to prevent human trafficking and end this cruel form of 
        human mistreatment;
Whereas Kazakhstan is confidently moving toward integration with the world 
        economic system by establishing the conditions for developing a true 
        market economy;
Whereas the United States Government, recognizing the economic progress of 
        Kazakhstan, granted to Kazakhstan ``market economy status'', the first 
        such designation of any country in the Commonwealth of Independent 
        States;
Whereas United States businesses actively participate in the development of one 
        of the world's largest energy resources in Kazakhstan and consider the 
        country to be an alternative and reliable source of energy;
Whereas the application to Kazakhstan of chapter 1 of title IV of the Trade Act 
        of 1974 (commonly referred to as the ``Jackson-Vanik amendment'') 
        prevents Kazakhstan from achieving permanent normal trade relations 
        status with the United States;
Whereas an independent and democratic Kazakhstan is the cornerstone of peace, 
        stability, and prosperity in the vitally important region of Central 
        Asia;
Whereas Kazakhstan voluntarily disarmed its nuclear arsenal, the world's fourth 
        largest, and joined the Treaty on Reduction and Limitation of Strategic 
        Offensive Arms, with Annexes, Protocols, and Memorandum of 
        Understanding, signed at Moscow on July 31, 1991 (START Treaty), and in 
        so doing provided an example of a responsible national approach to 
        nonproliferation;
Whereas the people of Kazakhstan, under the leadership of Nursultan Nazarbayev, 
        are providing unconditional and firm support in the ongoing allied 
        campaign in Afghanistan by allowing coalition forces to use the air 
        space of Kazakhstan and the largest airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan;
Whereas Kazakhstan is taking an active part in rehabilitating Iraq and is the 
        only country in the region of Central Asia to send a military contingent 
        of combat engineers who in a few months have neutralized more than 
        300,000 explosive devices in Iraq, thereby saving thousands of lives;
Whereas, within the framework of growing military cooperation, the United States 
        and Kazakhstan signed an Article 98 Agreement relating to the 
        International Criminal Court;
Whereas the increasing significance of Kazakhstan to United States foreign 
        policy has resulted in the creation of the United States-Kazakhstan 
        Interparliamentary Friendship Group, which is designed to strengthen 
        relations of strategic partnership between the two countries; and
Whereas Kazakhstan is an important friend and strategic ally of the United 
        States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) congratulates the people and Government of the Republic 
        of Kazakhstan on the 12th anniversary of the independence of 
        Kazakhstan and the establishment of diplomatic relations with 
        the United States;
            (2) welcomes and supports political and economic 
        transformations achieved by Kazakhstan during its years of 
        independence;
            (3) expresses gratitude for the leadership of Kazakhstan in 
        establishing interreligious dialogue to promote peace and 
        harmony in the world;
            (4) commends Kazakhstan on toughening measures to stop 
        human trafficking;
            (5) recognizes the need to terminate application to 
        Kazakhstan of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (commonly known 
        as the ``Jackson-Vanik Amendment'') and extend normal trade 
        relations status to Kazakhstan;
            (6) expresses gratitude for the support and assistance of 
        the people of Kazakhstan in the antiterrorist campaign of the 
        United States and coalition countries and for their support for 
        the reconstruction of Iraq;
            (7) applauds the wise decision of the leadership of 
        Kazakhstan to renounce the deployment of the nuclear weapons 
        inherited by the country and make the world a safer place;
            (8) calls upon the President to actively popularize the 
        example set by Kazakhstan in renouncing the deployment of its 
        nuclear weapons with respect to United States negotiations with 
        countries that are trying to acquire, develop, or deploy 
        nuclear weapons; and
            (9) urges further strengthening of strategically important 
        relations between Kazakhstan and the United States on all other 
        issues of importance between the two countries.
                                 <all>