[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 417 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 417

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should expand 
 trade opportunities with Mongolia and initiate negotiations to enter 
               into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 19, 2007

  Mr. Hagel (for himself, Mr. Lugar, and Ms. Murkowski) submitted the 
  following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should expand 
 trade opportunities with Mongolia and initiate negotiations to enter 
               into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.

Whereas Mongolia declared an end to a 1-party Communist state in 1990 and 
        embarked on democratic and free market reforms;
Whereas the free market reforms include adopting democratic electoral processes, 
        enacting further political reform measures, privatizing state 
        enterprises, lifting price controls, and improving fiscal discipline;
Whereas, since 1990, Mongolia has made progress to strengthen democratic 
        governing institutions and protect individual rights;
Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 Country Reports on Human 
        Rights that Mongolia generally respects the human rights of its 
        citizens, although concerns remain, including the treatment of 
        prisoners, freedom of the press and information, due process, and 
        trafficking in persons;
Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 International Religious 
        Freedom report that Mongolia generally respects freedom of religion, 
        although some concerns remain;
Whereas Mongolia has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 1997, 
        and a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the 
        Asian Development Bank since 1991;
Whereas, in 1999, the United States extended permanent nondiscriminatory 
        treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of 
        Mongolia;
Whereas Mongolia has provided strong and consistent support to the United States 
        in the global war on terror, including support for United States 
        military forces and, since May 2003, contributed peace keepers to 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom, artillery trainers to Operation Enduring 
        Freedom, and personnel to the United Nations peace-keeping operations in 
        Kosovo and Sierra Leone;
Whereas the United States and Mongolia signed a bilateral Trade and Investment 
        Framework Agreement in 2004;
Whereas Mongolia has expressed steadfast commitment to greater economic reforms, 
        including a commitment to encourage and expand the role of the private 
        sector, increase transparency, strengthen the rule of law, combat 
        corruption, and comply with international standards for labor and 
        intellectual property rights protection;
Whereas bilateral trade between the United States and Mongolia in 2005 was 
        valued at more than $165,000,000;
Whereas, in November 2005, President George W. Bush became the first President 
        of the United States to visit Mongolia, and on November 21, 2005, 
        President Bush and President Enkhbayar issued a joint statement 
        declaring that the 2 countries are committed to defining guiding 
        principles and expanding the framework of the comprehensive partnership 
        between the United States and Mongolia;
Whereas, on October 18, 2007, the Senate agreed to Senate Resolution 352, 
        expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the 20th anniversary of the 
        United States-Mongolia relations, and encouraged continued economic 
        cooperation with Mongolia;
Whereas, on October 22, 2007, the United States and Mongolia signed a Millennium 
        Challenge Corporation Compact Agreement;
Whereas, during the October 2007 visit of President Enkhbayar to Washington, DC, 
        the United States and Mongolia signed a Declaration of Principles for 
        closer cooperation between the 2 countries, reiterating a commitment to 
        expansion of development and long term cooperation in political, 
        economic, trade, investment, educational, cultural, arts, scientific and 
        technological, environmental, health, defense, security, humanitarian, 
        and other fields; and
Whereas the United States and Mongolia would benefit from expanding and 
        diversifying trade opportunities by reducing tariff and nontariff 
        barriers to trade: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States 
should continue to work with Mongolia to expand bilateral trade 
opportunities and initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade 
agreement with Mongolia.
                                 <all>