[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 494 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.494

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
            the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven


                                 An Act


 
To endorse further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
 (NATO) and to facilitate the timely admission of new members to NATO, 
                         and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of 
2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    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 communique 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 (FYROM), 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 communique 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 and Ukraine have stated their desire to join the 
    Euro-Atlantic community, and in particular, are seeking to join the 
    North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Georgia and Ukraine are 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) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Summit in Brussels in 
    February 2005, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko declared 
    membership in NATO as the ultimate goal of Ukraine's cooperation 
    with the Alliance and expressed Ukraine's desire to conclude a 
    Membership Action Plan.
        (20) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Foreign Ministerial meeting 
    in Vilnius in April 2005, NATO and Ukraine launched an Intensified 
    Dialogue on the potential membership of Ukraine in NATO.
        (21) At the Riga Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
    Organization in November 2006, the Heads of State and Government of 
    the member countries of NATO issued a declaration reaffirming that 
    NATO's door remains open to new members, declaring that ``all 
    European democratic countries may be considered for MAP (Membership 
    Action Plan) or admission, subject to decision by the NAC (North 
    Atlantic Council) at each stage, based on the performance of these 
    countries towards meeting the objectives of the North Atlantic 
    Treaty. We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep that process 
    under continual review and report to us. We welcome the efforts of 
    Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 
    prepare themselves for the responsibilities and obligations of 
    membership. We reaffirm that the Alliance will continue with 
    Georgia and Ukraine its Intensified Dialogues which cover the full 
    range of political, military, financial and security issues 
    relating to those countries' aspirations to membership, without 
    prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision. We reaffirm the 
    importance of the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership, which has 
    its 10th anniversary next year and welcome the progress that has 
    been made in the framework of our Intensified Dialogue. We 
    appreciate Ukraine's substantial contributions to our common 
    security, including through participation in NATO-led operations 
    and efforts to promote regional cooperation. We encourage Ukraine 
    to continue to contribute to regional security. We are determined 
    to continue to assist, through practical cooperation, in the 
    implementation of far-reaching reform efforts, notably in the 
    fields of national security, defence, reform of the defence-
    industrial sector and fighting corruption. We welcome the 
    commencement of an Intensified Dialogue with Georgia as well as 
    Georgia's contribution to international peacekeeping and security 
    operations. We will continue to engage actively with Georgia in 
    support of its reform process. We encourage Georgia to continue 
    progress on political, economic and military reforms, including 
    strengthening judicial reform, as well as the peaceful resolution 
    of outstanding conflicts on its territory. We reaffirm that it is 
    of great importance that all parties in the region should engage 
    constructively to promote regional peace and stability.''.
        (22) 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 and a clear expression of national 
    intent to do so, Congress calls for the timely admission of 
    Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine to the 
    North Atlantic Treaty Organization to promote security and 
    stability in Europe.
SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.
    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 Communique of 1999, its Prague Summit 
    Declaration of 2002, its Istanbul Summit Communique of 2004, and 
    its Riga Summit Declaration of 2006; 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, Macedonia (FYROM), and 
    Ukraine.
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF ALBANIA, CROATIA, GEORGIA, MACEDONIA (FYROM), 
AND UKRAINE AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE UNDER THE NATO 
PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1994.
    (a) Designation.--
        (1) Albania.--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) Croatia.--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.--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) Macedonia (fyrom).--The Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 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.
        (5) Ukraine.--Ukraine 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) Rule of Construction.--The designation of the Republic of 
Albania, the Republic of Croatia, Georgia, the Republic of Macedonia 
(FYROM), and Ukraine 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.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR COUNTRIES DESIGNATED 
UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1994.
    Of the amounts made available for fiscal year 2008 under section 23 
of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) such sums as may be 
necessary are authorized to be appropriated for assistance to the 
Republic of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, Georgia, the Republic of 
Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.