[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 192 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 192

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding supporting democracy and 
 economic development in Mongolia and expanding relations between the 
                      United States and Mongolia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2009

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Webb, and Ms. Murkowski) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding supporting democracy and 
 economic development in Mongolia and expanding relations between the 
                      United States and Mongolia.

Whereas the United States Government established diplomatic relations with the 
        Government of Mongolia in January 1987;
Whereas the Government of Mongolia declared an end to one-party Communist rule 
        in 1990 and initiated democratic and free market reforms;
Whereas the United States Government has a continued commitment to ongoing 
        economic and political reforms in Mongolia and has made sizeable 
        contributions for that purpose since 1991;
Whereas, in 1991, the United States established Normal Trade Relations (NTR) 
        status with Mongolia and began a Peace Corps program that now boasts 
        over 100 volunteers and over 725 volunteers since its creation, and is 
        one of the largest per capita Peace Corps programs worldwide;
Whereas the United States extended permanent NTR status effective July 1, 1999;
Whereas the United States has strongly supported the participation of Mongolia 
        in the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian 
        Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
        Development, among other international organizations;
Whereas the United States and Mongolia enhanced their trade relationship through 
        the signing of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in 2004 to 
        boost bilateral commercial ties and amicably resolve disagreements over 
        trade;
Whereas the Government of Mongolia continues to work with the United States 
        Government to combat global terrorism and, from April 2003 to October 
        2008, sent 10 consecutive deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom and 7 
        indirect fire technical training teams to Afghanistan;
Whereas the Government of Mongolia continues to demonstrate a growing desire to 
        join the United States in global peacekeeping activities by providing an 
        ongoing deployment of soldiers to protect the Special Court for Sierra 
        Leone, as well as providing deployments in support of the North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization mission in Kosovo and United Nations missions in a 
        number of countries in Africa;
Whereas the Government of Mongolia signed denuclearization agreements in 1991 
        and 1992, making Mongolia a nuclear weapons-free zone;
Whereas Mongolia was deemed eligible for Millennium Challenge Compact assistance 
        on May 6, 2004, submitted its official proposal on October 13, 2005, 
        received approval for its proposal from the Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation on September 12, 2007, and signed a Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation Compact Agreement on October 22, 2007, during a visit to the 
        United States by then-Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar;
Whereas President George W. Bush became the first-ever sitting United States 
        President to travel to Mongolia on November 21, 2005;
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission began a program to provide 
        parliamentary assistance to the State Great Hural, the parliament of 
        Mongolia, in 2007;
Whereas Senate Resolution 352, 110th Congress, agreed to October 18, 2007, 
        expressed the sense of the Senate on ``the strength and endurance'' of 
        the partnership between the United States and Mongolia during the 20th 
        anniversary of relations between the two countries;
Whereas the United States and Mongolia signed an agreement to increase 
        cooperation in preventing trafficking in nuclear technology on October 
        23, 2007;
Whereas, during the October 2007 visit by then-President Enkhbayar to 
        Washington, DC, the United States and Mongolia agreed to a Declaration 
        of Principles for further cooperation between both countries, including 
        a commitment to expanded development and long-term cooperation in 
        political, economic, trade, investment, educational, cultural, arts, 
        scientific and technological, defense, security, humanitarian, and other 
        areas;
Whereas the people of Mongolia completed a free, fair, and peaceful democratic 
        election on May 24, 2009, which resulted in the election of opposition 
        Democratic Party candidate Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on June 9, 2009, with the 
        Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia, S. Batbold, that the 
        United States is ``committed to supporting the government and people of 
        Mongolia as they seek assistance to develop, as they continue their 
        democratization, and as they reach out to the rest of the world''; and
Whereas the United States Government and the Government of Mongolia share a 
        common interest in promoting peaceful cooperation in Northeast Asia and 
        Central Asia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the growing partnership between the democratic 
        governments and peoples of the United States and Mongolia 
        deserves acknowledgment and celebration;
            (2) the democratic election and peaceful transition of 
        power in Mongolia is an important demonstration of the 
        continuing commitment in that country to democratic reform and 
        represents a significant achievement for that young democracy;
            (3) the United States Government encourages further 
        economic cooperation with the Government of Mongolia, 
        including, as appropriate, enhanced trade and investment to 
        promote prosperity for both of our economies;
            (4) the United States Government should continue to work 
        with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian 
        Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
        Development to assist the Government of Mongolia in improving 
        its economic system and accelerating development;
            (5) the United States Government should continue to provide 
        Mongolia assistance under the Millennium Challenge Compact and 
        encourage further effective and accountable governance; and
            (6) the United States Government should expand upon 
        existing academic, cultural, and other people-to-people 
        exchanges with Mongolia.
                                 <all>