[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 78 (Monday, June 20, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 THE HEFLIN-BEREUTER PLAN FOR NORTH ATLANTIC ASSEMBLY FACILITATION OF 
                         PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, several other Senators and I recently 
represented the Senate at the spring meeting of the North Atlantic 
Assembly in Oslo, Norway. This session, which took place over the 
memorial day weekend prior to the 50th anniversary of the D-day 
invasion, brought together parliamentarians from all the NATO 
countries, as well as some legislators from observer and associate 
member nations. Much of the debate during the Assembly's 4-day session 
centered on the future expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance and the 
partnership for peace plan which was adopted in Brussels last January.
  Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the emergence of 
several fledgling democracies in central and eastern Europe, one of the 
major issues dominating North Atlantic Assembly debate and NATO summits 
in general has been that of expansion and how fast it should occur.
  The leaders of all 16 NATO countries acknowledge that the alliance 
will most likely be expanded. The fact that all alliance members 
endorsed the partnership for peace plan as the official blueprint for 
eventual expansion testifies to that reality. Since that is the case, 
the debate has naturally been centered on the question of timing. Some 
want to move immediately to admit new members; others want to expand 
the alliance according to a more cautions and carefully prescribed 
long-term time table; and still others would like to see expansion 
delayed indefinitely.
  When assembly vice president Congressman Doug Bereuter of Nebraska 
and I attended the Athens standing committee meeting in March, it 
became clear to us that the debate on timing was missing the point. As 
we know, the 16 NATO countries must all agree unanimously before any 
new member can be admitted to the alliance. Since it is clear that a 
number of NATO members--the United States among them--are not at the 
present time ready to vote in favor of new members, early admission is 
largely a moot point.
  In light of this climate, Congressman Bereuter and I agreed that 
rather than continuing to argue over the timing of expansion, it would 
be more beneficial for the assembly, as the legislative arm of NATO, to 
focus on how legislators can facilitate partnership for peace, since 
that is the plan in place by which potential new members can ready 
themselves for admission at some point in the future. The plan 
Congressman Bereuter and I proposed to the standing, political, and 
defense and security committees in Oslo provides for specific steps 
that parliamentarians from the 16 NATO countries can take to make the 
process more readily understandable and membership possibly attainable.

  The North Atlantic Assembly already provides an important service 
through the Rose-Roth initiative, named for former president of the 
Assembly Congressman Charlie Rose of North Carolina and our colleague 
from Delaware, Senator Roth, who serves as vice chairman of our Senate 
delegation to the Assembly. The Rose-Roth seminars have explored 
important issues such as Russian troops in the Baltics, regional 
security in Turkey and the Asian republics, and defense conversion in 
Ukraine. In addition, the Assembly sent a large team of election 
observers to the most recent Russian elections. We suggested that the 
Assembly build upon its success, and utilize its many resources in a 
more organized and concrete fashion during this interim period before 
new applications are considered for NATO membership.
  In particular, we called upon each of the five assembly committees, 
in conjunction with the standing committee, to examine how they can 
further the goals and objectives of partnership for peace. We asked 
that each committee evaluate the range of possible contributions to 
partnership for peace and report their findings to the standing 
committee. That committee will then formulate a set of policy 
recommendations to be reported to the full assembly. Having received 
the recommendations of the five policy committees and standing 
committee, the assembly will then be able to devise a strong plan of 
action for its activities.
  While each committee is obviously the best judge of its own potential 
contribution, we envision the committees meeting with eastern European 
parliamentarians to discuss in detail specific issues within their area 
of expertise. For example, the science and technology might meet with 
their eastern European counterparts to share perspectives on a matter 
such as intellectual property rights or international legislation 
governing environmental protection. Similarly, the economic committee 
might wish to discuss in detail the issue of contract sanctity, or 
legislation necessary to maintain a healthy banking industry in a free-
market economy. The Defense and Security Committee might turn its 
attention to legislative oversight of the Armed Forces or the 
intelligence services.
  Particular attention would also need to be given to multinational 
protocol, status of forces, status of organization, and the 
international military headquarters treaties that all or a majority of 
NATO Members are signatories to. There are also cooperative agreements 
and memoranda of understanding pursuant to these treaties that it might 
be desirable for potential new members to endorse.

  We recognize the fact that partnership for peace does not set 
specific preconditions for membership. Each of our eastern European 
neighbors faces a unique set of circumstances, and it would not be fair 
or equitable to establish an iron clad set of preconditions for entry 
into NATO for every applicant. Nevertheless, it is true that there are 
a series of obvious reforms that each NATO aspirant should undertake 
before it should be considered for membership.
  Our proposal lists some of those--there may be others the committees 
recommend. We suggested that each committee carefully examine the area 
within its jurisdiction to provide an outline of basic legislative 
reforms that would enhance a nation's chances of entry into NATO. Such 
an outline would be designed to provide the legislatures of applicant 
countries with a more detailed appreciation of the types of national 
legislation that would be desirable before membership could seriously 
be considered.
  Nothing that Congressman Bereuter and I proposed should be taken to 
imply that the assembly, as a body of parliamentarians, is usurping 
decisions taken by the NATO countries' heads of state. Partnership for 
peace was approved at the heads of state summit in January, and any 
decision to ultimately admit new members to NATO would, of course, be 
made at the executive branch level of each member nation. We are only 
offering suggestions as to what legislators and parliamentarians can do 
in conjunction with our heads of state in readying applicant countries 
for membership during this interim period, which could be several 
years.
  As we stated at the Oslo session, these suggestions are designed to 
build upon the excellent work that already has been done by members of 
the assembly and the secretariat. We only want to ensure that the 
Assembly's outreach efforts coincide with and contribute to NATO's 
established policy as set forth in partnership for peace. We saw a 
fairly healthy debate on the Heflin--Bereuter proposal in Oslo, and 
look forward to its more formal consideration and extended debate 
during the assembly's annual meeting here in Washington this November. 
I am happy to report that the response among the other parliamentarians 
present in Oslo was overwhelmingly positive, as there appears to be a 
great deal of support among our NATO allies to put into place many of 
the initiatives as outlined in our proposal.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the Heflin-Bereuter statement 
be entered into the Congressional Record immediately following my 
remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I welcome any comments and suggestions my 
colleagues might have to offer after studying its contents.
  Let me just quote some of the areas that we consider to be 
appropriate for the North Atlantic Assembly and various 
parliamentarians in various other countries to work on in regard to 
making a country to be much more ready to be invited to join NATO, 
things such as:

       civilian control of the military;
       civilian control of internal security forces;
       a market-based economy;
       a democratic government with free and open elections;
       a judicial system that protects the integrity of private 
     contracts, not only ones entered into by citizens of that 
     country, but those entered into with citizens of other 
     countries as well;
       human rights protections and policies for resolving 
     internal disputes, including ethnic and religious disputes;
       overall defence and security policies;
       policies on international terrorism, crime, and narcotics;
       policies in areas of science and technology, such as 
     international protection of patients and intellectual 
     property rights;
       review of possible compliance with multilateral treaties 
     and international agreements which would be desirable for 
     applicant countries to join;
       trade/economic policy; and
       certainly very strong police matters pertaining to it and 
     the possibility of the requirement of the adoption of 
     extradition treaties that might be entered into with these 
     new countries.

  So, Mr. President, I think that this proposal has much merit to it. I 
hope that I will have suggestions for my colleagues as to other matters 
that they would like to see included after they have an opportunity to 
study the same from the Congressional Record.

                               Exhibit 1

 North Atlantic Assembly Committee Activity to Build Upon and Enhance 
                         Partnership For Peace

      Statement by Senate Howell Heflin and Hon. Douglas Bereuter

       The Assembly,
       1. Recognizing the absence of the necessary consensus among 
     NATO partners which would permit the admission of new 
     members;
       2. Nothing the decision taken at the Brussels Summit that 
     designates Partnership for Peace to be the Alliance blueprint 
     for new membership;
       3. Applauding the demonstrated success of the North 
     Atlantic Assembly's current outreach efforts, such as the 
     Rose-Roth initiative and election observances;
       4. Seeking to build upon their success and to utilize our 
     many tangible resources in a more organized and concrete 
     fashion in our efforts to help prospective applicants prepare 
     for eventual membership;
       5. Believing that there are steps we, as parliamentarians 
     from the 16 NATO countries, can take to facilitate 
     Partnership for Peace and possibly enhance the readiness of 
     interested nations to be invited to apply for NATO 
     membership;
       6. Acknowledging that each nation aspiring to NATO 
     membership faces a unique set of circumstances, and that it 
     would be unwise and unfair to establish an iron-clad set of 
     policy goals desirable for entry into NATO for every 
     applicant;
       7. Further recognizing that here are, nevertheless, obvious 
     policy goals that each NATO applicant should achieve before 
     it can be invited to apply for full membership;
       8. Suggesting that each NAA committee carefully examine 
     areas within its jurisdiction so as to provide an outline of 
     basic governmental reforms that would be desirable to 
     facilitate a nation's entry into NATO, so that 
     parliamentarians from applicant countries will have a 
     detailed appreciation of actions that should be pursued 
     before membership could be considered;
       9. Further suggesting that each committee of the NAA 
     explore positive contributions that the NAA and NATO 
     parliamentarians can make with applicant nations toward 
     advancing a coherent defense policy, international security, 
     economic reforms, and democratic reform;
       10. Urges the Standing Committee:
       a. to solicit and gather suggestions from each committee 
     chairman, as well as from other interested parties, as to 
     what areas of government reform and plans of co-operation 
     would be appropriate for the NAA to undertake in support of 
     Partnership for Peace:
       b. to equitably assign to the Political, Defense and 
     Security, Economic, Scientific and Technical, and Civilian 
     Affairs Committees appropriate items to be considered, 
     analyzed, and suggested regarding desirable governmental 
     reforms, parliamentary initiatives, NAA undertakings, and 
     other steps that could be relevant to a country's readiness 
     to be invited to join NATO, including, but not limited to:
       civilian control of the military
       civilian control of internal security forces
       a market-based economy
       a democratic government with free and open elections
       a judicial system that protects the integrity of private 
     contracts, not only ones entered into by citizens of that 
     country, but those entered into with citizens of other 
     countries as well
       human rights protections and policies for resolving 
     internal disputes, including ethnic and religious disputes
       overall defense and security policies
       policies on international terrorism, crime, and narcotics
       policies in areas of science and technology, such as 
     international protection of patents and intellectual property 
     rights
       review of possible compliance with multilateral treaties 
     and international agreements which would be desirable for 
     applicant countries to join
       trade/economic policy
       c. to have the five committees report the results of their 
     analyses and suggestions to the Standing Committee of the 
     North Atlantic Assembly;
       d. to formulate policies and plans of action, after 
     receiving such analyses and suggestions, that both applicants 
     and the North Atlantic Assembly should pursue concerning 
     possible readiness for NATO membership;
       e. to present to the full North Atlantic Assembly, for 
     possible formal adoption, its suggested goals and reforms to 
     be pursued by applicant countries and its suggested plans of 
     action for what the NAA can do to aid the countries trying to 
     achieve these goals and reforms.

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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