III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 442 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 4, 2010 Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. Byrd) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Congratulating the people of the Republic of Lithuania on the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, or Act of March 11, and celebrating the rich history of Lithuania.

Whereas the name Lithuania first appeared in European records in the year 1009, when it was mentioned in the German manuscript Annals of Quedlinburg; Whereas the February 16, 1918, Act of Independence of Lithuania led to the establishment of Lithuania as a sovereign and democratic State; Whereas, under the German-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation, on June 15, 1940, Lithuania was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in violation of pre-existing peace treaties; Whereas, during 50 years of Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, Congress strongly, consistently, and on a bipartisan basis refused to legally recognize the incorporation of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania by the Soviet Union; Whereas, on March 11, 1990, the Republic of Lithuania was restored and Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence; Whereas, on September 2, 1991, the United States Government formally recognized Lithuania as an independent and sovereign nation; Whereas Lithuania has successfully developed into a free and democratic country, with a free market economy and respect for the rule of law; Whereas Lithuania is a full and responsible member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Whereas Lithuania assumed Presidency of the Community of Democracies in September 2009, and will hold this position until 2011; Whereas, in 2010, the United States Government and the Government of Lithuania celebrated 88 years of continuous diplomatic relations; Whereas the United States Government welcomes and appreciates efforts by the Government of Lithuania to maintain international peace and stability in Europe and around the world by contributing to international civilian and military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Georgia; and Whereas Lithuania is a strong and loyal ally of the United States, and the people of Lithuania share common values with the people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate hereby— (1)congratulates the people of the Republic of Lithuania on the occasion of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania; (2)commends the Government of Lithuania for its success in implementing political and economic reforms, for establishing political, religious, and economic freedom, and for its commitment to human rights; (3)recognizes the close and enduring relationship between the United States Government and the Government of Lithuania; and (4)calls on the President to continue to build on the close and mutually beneficial relations the United States has enjoyed with Lithuania since the restoration of the full independence of Lithuania.