1.This Act may be cited as
the NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of
2006
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)The sustained
commitment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to mutual defense
has made possible the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe.
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can and should play a
critical role in addressing the security challenges of the post-Cold War era in
creating the stable environment needed for those emerging democracies in
Europe.
(2)Lasting stability
and security in Europe requires the military, economic, and political
integration of emerging democracies into existing European structures.
(3)In an era of
threats from terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is increasingly contributing to security
in the face of global security challenges for the protection and interests of
its member states.
(4)In the NATO
Participation Act of 1994 (title II of Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928
note), Congress declared that full and active participants in the
Partnership for Peace in a position to further the principles of the North
Atlantic Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area
should be invited to become full NATO members in accordance with Article 10 of
such Treaty at an early date…
.
(5)In the NATO
Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title VI of section 101(c) of title I of
division A of Public Law 104–208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress called for the
prompt admission of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia to the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and declared that in order to
promote economic stability and security in Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine…the process of
enlarging NATO to include emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe
should not be limited to consideration of admitting Poland, Hungary, the Czech
Republic, and Slovenia as full members of the NATO Alliance
.
(6)In the European
Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of division G of Public Law 105–277; 22
U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress declared that Poland, Hungary, and the Czech
Republic should not be the last emerging democracies in Central and Eastern
Europe invited to join NATO
and that Romania, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Bulgaria…would make an outstanding contribution to furthering
the goals of NATO and enhancing stability, freedom, and peace in Europe should
they become NATO members [and] upon complete satisfaction of all relevant
criteria should be invited to become full NATO members at the earliest possible
date
.
(7)In the Gerald B.
H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–187; 22 U.S.C.
1928 note), Congress endorsed …the vision of further enlargement of the
NATO Alliance articulated by President George W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and by
former President William J. Clinton on October 22, 1996
.
(8)At the Madrid
Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in July 1997, Poland, Hungary,
and the Czech Republic were invited to join the Alliance, and the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a declaration
stating [t]he alliance expects to extend further invitations in coming
years to nations willing and able to assume the responsibilities and
obligations of membership…[n]o European democratic country whose admission
would fulfill the objectives of the [North Atlantic] Treaty will be excluded
from consideration
.
(9)At the Washington
Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April 1999, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a communiqué
declaring [w]e pledge that NATO will continue to welcome new members in
a position to further the principles of the [North Atlantic] Treaty and
contribute to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area…[t]he three new
members will not be the last…[n]o European democratic country whose admission
would fulfill the objectives of the Treaty will be excluded from consideration,
regardless of its geographic location…
.
(10)In May 2000 in
Vilnius, Lithuania, the foreign ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia
issued a statement (later joined by Croatia) declaring that—
(A)their countries
will cooperate in jointly seeking membership in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization in the next round of enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization;
(B)the realization
of membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by one or more of these
countries would be a success for all; and
(C)eventual
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for all of these countries
would be a success for Europe and for the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
(11)On June 15,
2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, President George W. Bush stated
[a]ll of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea and
all that lie between, should have the same chance for security and freedom—and
the same chance to join the institutions of Europe—as Europe’s old democracies
have…I believe in NATO membership for all of Europe’s democracies that seek it
and are ready to share the responsibilities that NATO brings…[a]s we plan to
enlarge NATO, no nation should be used as a pawn in the agenda of others…[w]e
will not trade away the fate of free European peoples…[n]o more Munichs…[n]o
more Yaltas…[a]s we plan the Prague Summit, we should not calculate how little
we can get away with, but how much we can do to advance the cause of
freedom
.
(12)On October 22,
1996, in a speech in Detroit, Michigan, former President William J. Clinton
stated NATO's doors will not close behind its first new members…NATO
should remain open to all of Europe’s emerging democracies who are ready to
shoulder the responsibilities of membership…[n]o nation will be automatically
excluded…[n]o country outside NATO will have a veto…[a] gray zone of insecurity
must not reemerge in Europe
.
(13)At the Prague
Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in November 2002, Bulgaria,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were invited to
join the Alliance in the second round of enlargement of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization since the end of the Cold War, and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a declaration stating
NATO's door will remain open to European democracies willing and able to
assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance with
Article 10 of the Washington Treaty
.
(14)On May 8, 2003,
the United States Senate unanimously approved the Resolution of Ratification to
Accompany Treaty Document No. 108–4, Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of
1949 on Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia,
and Slovenia, inviting Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia,
and Slovenia to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
(15)At the Istanbul
Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in June 2004, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a communiqué
reaffirming that NATO's door remains open to new members, declaring [w]e
celebrate the success of NATO's Open Door Policy, and reaffirm tody that our
seven new members will not be the last. The door to membership remains open. We
welcome the progress made by Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (1) in implementing their Annual National Programmes under the
Membership Action Plan, and encourage them to continue pursuing the reforms
necessary to progress toward NATO membership. We also commend their
contribution to regional stability and cooperation. We want all three countries
to succeed and will continue to assist them in their reform efforts. NATO will
continue to assess each country's candidacy individually, based on the progress
made towards reform goals pursued through the Membership Action Plan, which
will remain the vehicle to keep the readiness of each aspirant for membership
under review. We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep the enlargement
process, including the implementation of the Membership Action Plan, under
continual review and report to us. We will review at the next Summit progress
by aspirants towards membership based on that report
.
(16)Georgia has
stated its desire to join the Euro-Atlantic community, and in particular, is
seeking to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Georgia is working closely
with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its members to meet criteria
for eventual membership in NATO.
(17)At a press
conference with President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia in Washington, D.C. on
July 5, 2006, President George W. Bush stated that “… I believe that NATO would
benefit with Georgia being a member of NATO, and I think Georgia would benefit.
And there’s a way forward through the Membership Action Plan…And I’m a believer
in the expansion of NATO. I think it’s in the world’s interest that we expand
NATO”.
(18)Following a
meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in New York on September 21, 2006, NATO
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced the launching of an
Intensified Dialogue on membership between the Alliance and Georgia.
(19)Contingent upon
their continued implementation of democratic, defense, and economic reform, and
their willingness and ability to meet the responsibilities of membership in the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Congress calls for the timely admission of
Albania, Croatia, Georgia, and Macedonia to the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization to promote security and stability in Europe.
(20)The North
Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government will hold a North
Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Riga, Latvia, in November 2006.
3.Congress—
(1)reaffirms its
previous expressions of support for continued enlargement of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization contained in the NATO Participation Act of 1994, the NATO
Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the European Security Act of 1998, and
the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002;
(2)supports the
commitment to further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to
include European democracies that are able and willing to meet the
responsibilities of Membership, as expressed by the Alliance in its Madrid
Summit Declaration of 1997, its Washington Summit Communiqué of 1999, its
Prague Summit Declaration of 2002, and its Istanbul Summit Communiqué of 2004;
and
(3)endorses the
vision of further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
articulated by President George W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and by former
President William J. Clinton on October 22, 1996, and urges our allies in the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization to work with the United States to realize a
role for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in promoting global security,
including continued support for enlargement to include qualified candidate
states, specifically by entering into a Membership Action Plan with Georgia and
recognizing the progress toward meeting the responsibilities and obligations of
NATO membership by Albania, Croatia, Georgia, and Macedonia at the NATO Summit
in Riga, Latvia.
4.Designation of
Albania, Croatia, Georgia, and Macedonia as eligible to receive assistance
under the NATO Participation Act of 1994
(a)
(1)The
Republic of Albania is designated as eligible to receive assistance under the
program established under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994
(title II of Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and shall be deemed to
have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
(2)The
Republic of Croatia is designated as eligible to receive assistance under the
program established under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994,
and shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of
such Act.
(3)Georgia is designated as eligible to
receive assistance under the program established under section 203(a) of the
NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to have been so designated
pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
(4)The Republic of Macedonia is designated as
eligible to receive assistance under the program established under section
203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to have been
so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
(b)The designation of the Republic of Albania, the
Republic of Croatia, Georgia, and the Republic of Macedonia pursuant to
subsection (a) as eligible to receive assistance under the program established
under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994—
(1)is in addition to
the designation of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant
to section 606 of the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title VI of
section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 104–208; 22 U.S.C. 1928
note), the designation of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria
pursuant to section 2703(b) of the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII
of division G of Public Law 105–277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and the designation
of Slovakia pursuant to section 4(a) of the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom
Consolidation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) as eligible
to receive assistance under the program established under section 203(a) of the
NATO Participation Act of 1994; and
(2)shall not
preclude the designation by the President of other countries pursuant to
section 203(d)(2) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 as eligible to receive
assistance under the program established under section 203(a) of such
Act.
5.Authorization of
security assistance for countries designated under the NATO Participation Act
of 1994Of the amounts made
available for fiscal year 2007 under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act
(22 U.S.C. 2763)—
(1)$3,200,000 is
authorized to be available on a grant basis for the Republic of Albania;
(2)$3,000,000 is
authorized to be available on a grant basis for the Republic of Croatia;
(3)$10,000,000 is
authorized to be available on a grant basis for Georgia; and
(4)$3,600,000 is
authorized to be available on a grant basis for the Republic of
Macedonia.
6.Congress affirms that
it stands ready to consider, and if all applicable criteria are satisfied, to
support efforts by Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
should Ukraine decide that is wishes to pursue membership in the
Alliance.