[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 612 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 612

   Expressing the sense of the Senate that President George W. Bush, 
    President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation, and other 
    participants in the 2008 Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Toyako, 
  Hokkaido, Japan should work together to foster a more constructive 
relationship, and that the Government of the Russian Federation should 
 eschew behaviors that are inconsistent with the Group's objectives of 
     protecting global security, economic stability, and democracy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 14, 2008

    Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Kerry, and Mr. Casey) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Senate that President George W. Bush, 
    President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation, and other 
    participants in the 2008 Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Toyako, 
  Hokkaido, Japan should work together to foster a more constructive 
relationship, and that the Government of the Russian Federation should 
 eschew behaviors that are inconsistent with the Group's objectives of 
     protecting global security, economic stability, and democracy.

Whereas the leaders of 6 major industrialized democracies, including France, 
        West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, 
        gathered in 1975 for a summit meeting in Rambouillet, France, and for 
        annual meetings thereafter under a rotating presidency known as the 
        Group of Six (G6);
Whereas the G6 was established based on the mutual interest of its members in 
        promoting economic stability, global security, and democracy;
Whereas, in 1976, membership of the G6 was expanded to include Canada;
Whereas the members of the G7 share a commitment to promote security, economic 
        stability, and democracy in their respective nations and around the 
        world;
Whereas Russia was integrated into the G7 in 1998 at the behest of President 
        William Jefferson Clinton following Russian President Boris Yeltsin's 
        decision to pursue reforms and assume a neutral position on the 
        acceptance of additional members into the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO);
Whereas the members of the G8 face common challenges, including climate change, 
        violent extremism, global economic volatility, pandemic disease, nuclear 
        proliferation, and trafficking in narcotics, persons, and weapons of 
        mass destruction;
Whereas President Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and other 
        leaders of the Russian Federation have regularly expressed a desire for 
        the Russian Federation to play a leading role in international affairs;
Whereas the Russian Federation and other members of the international community 
        all stand to benefit if the Russian Federation is an active, 
        constructive partner in addressing the broad range of challenges 
        confronting the global community;
Whereas the Russian Federation has evidenced the capacity and willingness to 
        cooperate with the United States and other nations in the interest of 
        global security in certain areas pertaining to arms control and weapons 
        proliferation, notably through its participation in the Six-Party Talks 
        regarding North Korea and its support of the incentives package offered 
        by leading countries to Iran if that country would suspend its uranium 
        enrichment program;
Whereas the United States and Russia have safely deactivated and destroyed 
        thousands of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and provided 
        upgraded storage and transportation of nuclear materials through the 
        Nunn-Lugar program;
Whereas the United States and other countries participating in the June 2002 G8 
        Summit in Kananaskis, Canada agreed to raise up to $20,000,000,000 over 
        10 years to support nonproliferation projects in Russia and other 
        nations through the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and 
        Materials of Mass Destruction;
Whereas participants in the July 2006 G8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia 
        launched the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism to improve 
        the physical protection of nuclear materials, suppress illicit 
        trafficking of such materials, and bolster the capacity of willing 
        partner nations to respond to acts of nuclear terrorism;
Whereas the United States and the Government of the Russian Federation pledged 
        in the April 2008 Sochi Strategic Framework Declaration to negotiate a 
        ``legally binding post-START arrangement'' for the purposes of extending 
        provisions of the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty;
Whereas, notwithstanding these successes, the potential for collaboration 
        between the United States and the Government of Russian Federation has 
        been seriously undermined by the manner in which the leaders of the 
        Russian Federation have conducted aspects of Russia's foreign policy;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has unilaterally suspended 
        implementation of the 1991 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe 
        (CFE Treaty) and has yet to fulfill its commitment to withdraw Russian 
        forces from Georgia and Moldova pursuant to the 1999 Istanbul Summit 
        Declaration of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe;
Whereas the CFE Treaty has played a key role in enhancing the stability of the 
        Euro-Atlantic region;
Whereas the Adapted CFE Treaty, which will not enter into force until the 
        Russian Federation fulfills commitments made at the Istanbul Summit, 
        will provide greater flexibility for the Russian Federation in return 
        for improved transparency and verification;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has attempted to undermine the 
        territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia through its support of 
        the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia;
Whereas the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia has concluded that a 
        military aircraft belonging to the Russian Federation shot down an 
        unarmed Georgian drone on April 20, 2008, while flying over Abkhazia;
Whereas the conduct of Russian trade and energy policy has created a widespread 
        perception that the Government of the Russian Federation is using oil 
        and gas exports and economic policy as a means of political pressure on 
        countries that seek closer ties with the United States and Euro-Atlantic 
        partners;
Whereas the behavior of the Russian Federation as it relates to several 
        neighboring countries has contributed to the erosion of regional peace 
        and security;
Whereas such actions are inconsistent with the G8's objectives of protecting 
        global security, economic stability, and democracy, hinder cooperation 
        with the Government of the Russian Federation, and undermine the 
        standing of the Russian Federation as a respected member of the 
        international community;
Whereas there has been considerable disagreement between the Government of the 
        United States and the Government of the Russian Federation regarding 
        proposals to place ballistic missile defense interceptor and radar sites 
        in Poland and the Czech Republic, respectively;
Whereas certain developments inside the Russian Federation and the Russian 
        Government's conduct of domestic policy have undermined confidence in 
        the Russian Federation's ability and capability to serve as a full 
        partner in the work of the international community;
Whereas the Department of State's Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 
        2007 stated that, in Russia, ``continuing centralization of power in the 
        executive branch, a compliant State Duma, corruption and selectivity in 
        enforcement of the law, media restrictions, and harassment of some NGOs 
        eroded the government's accountability to its citizens.'';
Whereas, in June 2008, a report released by Human Rights Watch concluded that 
        Russian ``law enforcement and security forces involved in 
        counterinsurgency [in the North Caucasus] have committed dozens of 
        extrajudicial executions, summary and arbitrary detentions, and acts of 
        torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment'';
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has failed to successfully 
        prosecute individuals responsible for the murder of critics of the 
        Kremlin, including journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander 
        Litvinenko;
Whereas the 2008 Annual Report of Reporters without Borders noted a sharp 
        increase in government pressure on the independent media in Russia, 
        reporting that at least 2 journalists were forcibly sent to psychiatric 
        hospitals in 2007 and others were badly beaten or kidnapped prior to the 
        local and parliamentary elections in 2007;
Whereas Transparency International ranked Russia 143 out of 179 countries for 
        perceived corruption in 2007;
Whereas there is increasing concern about violent nationalism and xenophobia in 
        the Russian Federation and the 2008 Annual Report of the United States 
        Commission on International Religious Freedom reports that there has 
        been a ``sharp rise in violent crimes against persons [in Russia] on 
        account of their religion or ethnicity'';
Whereas, in the handling of the Yukos Oil Company case and numerous other 
        judicial actions, the Government of the Russian Federation has permitted 
        the politicization of Russia's legal system;
Whereas these developments have seriously damaged international confidence in 
        the institutions and laws of the Russian Federation and hindered the 
        ability of the United States and other partners to work with the Russian 
        Federation in addressing a broad range of pressing global, regional, and 
        domestic challenges;
Whereas the people of the Russian Federation and the people of the United States 
        have been disadvantaged by the resulting damage to relations between the 
        countries;
Whereas President Dmitry Medvedev, in an interview with the Reuters News Service 
        on June 25, 2008, stated that ``freedom, democracy and the right to 
        private property'' should define Russia's behavior;
Whereas the United States believes that adherence on the part of the Government 
        of the Russian Federation to the values articulated by President 
        Medvedev would provide a foundation for improved cooperation with the 
        Russian Federation;
Whereas adherence to the values articulated by President Medvedev would also 
        help repair damage to the international reputation of the Russian 
        Federation and advance the goals of security, prosperity, and 
        representative governance that should be the common ambition of all 
        members of the G8;
Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) in order to build a more constructive relationship with 
        the Government of the Russian Federation and its people, the 
        President of the United States and other leaders of the G8 
        nations should--
                    (A) pursue a broad agenda of cooperation with the 
                leaders of the Russian Federation; and
                    (B) encourage Russia's transformation into a more 
                liberal and democratic polity;
            (2) the Government of the United States and the Government 
        of the Russian Federation should work to ensure the continued 
        success of Nunn-Lugar initiatives and nonproliferation and 
        counterterrorism programs through--
                    (A) additional funding;
                    (B) access to sensitive facilities;
                    (C) effective safety and security measures to 
                prevent proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and 
                biological weapons and weapons-related materials and 
                technology; and
                    (D) cooperation between the United States and 
                Russia to enhance these objectives on a worldwide 
                basis;
            (3) the Government of the United States and the Government 
        of the Russian Federation, working within the International 
        Atomic Energy Agency and United Nations Security Council, 
        should renew demands for Iran to cease its nuclear enrichment 
        activities and fully disclose any prior weapons-related work;
            (4) the Government of the United States and the Government 
        of the Russian Federation should negotiate a legally-binding 
        successor agreement to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reductions 
        Treaty and address all outstanding concerns regarding the 1991 
        Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe;
            (5) the leaders of the Russian Federation should adopt 
        foreign and domestic policies that are consistent with 
        ``freedom, democracy and the right to private property'', as 
        articulated by President Dmitry Medvedev;
            (6) the Government of the Russian Federation should take 
        immediate steps to restore the freedom and independence of the 
        country's media in accordance with its obligations under the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
            (7) the Government and officials of the Russian Federation 
        should refrain from portraying the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO) as a threat to the Russian Federation and 
        fully utilize the consultative mechanisms that exist through 
        the NATO-Russia Council to facilitate cooperation between the 
        countries of NATO and the Russian Federation;
            (8) the United States, in coordination with other members 
        of the G8, should--
                    (A) encourage the Government of the Russian 
                Federation to address the challenges facing its 
                society, including widespread corruption, a 
                deteriorating health care system, growing instability 
                in the North Caucasus, and an increasingly serious 
                demographic crisis; and
                    (B) stand ready to assist the people and Government 
                of the Russian Federation in those efforts;
            (9) just as the United States welcomed the increasing 
        prosperity and political development of Germany, Japan, and the 
        nations Eastern Europe in the aftermath of former conflicts, 
        the United States should welcome the emergence of the Russian 
        Federation as a strong, successful, democratic partner in 
        addressing global challenges; and
            (10) the leaders of the Russian Federation should respect 
        the rights of sovereign, democratic governments in neighboring 
        countries and their prerogative to seek membership in Euro-
        Atlantic institutions.
                                 <all>