[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1383 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     September 9, 2008.
Whereas on September 22, 1908, Bulgaria proclaimed its independence to become a 
        full-fledged sovereign state under the name of the Kingdom of Bulgaria;
Whereas this act marked the end of a long and dedicated struggle the Bulgarian 
        people waged against their ages-long foreign occupier, the Ottoman 
        Empire, which conquered the medieval Bulgarian state in the 14th 
        Century;
Whereas although liberated in 1878, Bulgaria remained divided and dependent on 
        its formal ruler;
Whereas with the proclamation of independence 100 years ago, Bulgaria took its 
        rightful place among the family of nations and secured for its citizens 
        in its constitution of 1991 the right to life, freedom and property;
Whereas the Republic of Bulgaria is a democratic nation, a strong defender of 
        freedom and human rights, and a staunch ally of the United States;
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with the Republic of 
        Bulgaria on September 19, 1903;
Whereas the United States acknowledges the courage of the Bulgarian people in 
        deciding to pursue a free, democratic, and independent Bulgaria and 
        their steadfast perseverance in building a society based on the rule of 
        law, respect for human rights, and a free market economy;
Whereas the people of the Republic of Bulgaria strive to preserve and continue 
        their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance;
Whereas the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, King Boris III, 
        politicians, intellectuals, and citizens all played a part in the 
        resistance to Nazi pressure to carry out the deportation of Jews living 
        in Bulgaria by preventing the deportation of 50,000 Jews to Nazi 
        concentration camps;
Whereas Bulgaria was the only European country during World War II to increase 
        its Jewish population;
Whereas Bulgaria experienced its first free election after the end of the Cold 
        War in June 1990;
Whereas North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) heads of state and member 
        governments, meeting in Prague on November 21, 2002, invited Bulgaria 
        into NATO after verified reforms of Bulgaria's political, economic and 
        military systems were completed in preparation for membership;
Whereas Bulgaria was accepted as a member of NATO in April 2004, and has shown 
        determination in enacting the continued reforms necessary to be a 
        productive, contributing member of the Alliance;
Whereas Bulgaria was welcomed into the European Union in January 2007;
Whereas the World Bank recently classified Bulgaria as one of the top 10 nations 
        to have undertaken important economic reforms to attract business 
        investment;
Whereas Bulgaria is the only European Union nation to be listed in the top 10 of 
        the World Bank's classification;
Whereas Bulgaria has promoted stability in the Balkans by rendering support to 
        Operation Allied Force and Operation Joint Guardian led by NATO, and by 
        providing peacekeeping troops to the Stabilization Force in Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the Kosovo Force 
        (KFOR) in Kosovo;
Whereas Bulgaria initiated a historic strengthening of military relations by 
        inviting the United States Armed Forces to begin conducting joint 
        exercises with its forces in Bulgaria, the first voluntary defense 
        cooperation agreement with foreign troops throughout Bulgarian history, 
        including the 1,300 years before its declaration of independence; and
Whereas Bulgaria has stood firmly by the United States in the cause of advancing 
        freedom worldwide during its tenure as a nonpermanent member of the 
        United Nations Security Council: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the Republic of Bulgaria for its efforts to strengthen 
        relations with the United States over the past 100 years;
            (2) recognizes the continued contributions of Bulgaria toward 
        bringing peace, stability, and prosperity to the region of South Eastern 
        Europe, including its contributions to regional security and democratic 
        stability;
            (3) salutes the willing cooperation of Bulgaria and its increasingly 
        vital role as a valuable ally in the war against international 
        terrorism; and
            (4) encourages opportunities for greater cooperation between the 
        United States and Bulgaria in the political, military, economic, and 
        cultural spheres.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.