[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 70 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5138-S5139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 29--RELATIVE TO ESTONIA, LATVIA, AND
LITHUANIA
Mr. GORTON submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Con. Res. 29
Whereas the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania are undergoing a historic process of democratic and
free market transformation after emerging from decades of
brutal Soviet occupation;
Whereas each of the Baltic countries has conducted peaceful
transfers of political power since 1991;
Whereas the governments of the Baltic countries have been
exemplary in their respect for human rights and civil
liberties and have made great strides toward establishing the
rule of law;
Whereas the governments of the Baltic countries have made
consistent progress toward establishing civilian control of
their military forces and, through active participation in
the Partnership for Peace and the peace support operations of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (in this resolution
referred to as ``NATO''), have clearly demonstrated their
ability and willingness to operate with the forces of NATO
nations and under NATO standards;
Whereas each of the Baltic countries has made progress
toward implementing a free market system which has and will
continue to foster the economic advancement of the people of
the Baltic region;
Whereas the Baltic region has often been a battleground for
the competing territorial designs of nearby imperial powers
which, along with other factors, has contributed to a history
of insecurity and instability in the region;
Whereas NATO has been a force for stability, freedom, and
peace in Europe since 1949;
Whereas NATO has indicated it will begin to invite new
members in 1997; and
Whereas Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, exercising their
inherent right as participating states in the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, have voluntarily
applied for membership in NATO: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are to be commended for
their progress toward political and economic liberty and
meeting the guidelines for prospective NATO members set out
in chapter 5 of the September 1995 Study on NATO Enlargement;
(2) Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania would make an
outstanding contribution to NATO if they become members;
(3) eventual extension of full NATO membership to Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania would make a singular and lasting
contribution toward stability, freedom, and peace in the
Baltic region;
(4) upon satisfying the criteria for NATO membership,
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania should be invited to become
full members of NATO at the earliest possible date; and
(5) Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania should be invited to
attend the NATO summit in Madrid on July 8 and 9, 1997.
Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania lie on the
northwestern border of Russia. These three tiny Baltic nations have
historically served as a crossroads as bargaining chips between great
powers. As a result, they have been invaded and dominated by foreign
countries throughout
[[Page S5139]]
their history. The Baltics were occupied and oppressed by the Soviet
Union during all of the cold war, but are now on a quick path to full
democracy and free market economies.
As we meet in Madrid this July with our NATO partners to discuss
expansion of the alliance, we should also consider extending an
invitation to our friends in the Baltics. Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania have all made significant progress toward the NATO
requirements of irreversible democracy, free market economies, and
civilian-controlled militaries. They have participated in NATO's
Partnership for Peace initiative by supplying troops to NATO
peacekeeping efforts. The Baltic nations have requested, and deserve,
consideration for full NATO membership. That is why I am introducing
legislation today recommending the integration of Estonia, Lativa, and
Lithuania into NATO at the earliest possible date.
Having traveled to Estonia recently, I have a very personal interest
in its entry into NATO. Estonia is a beautiful nation on the Baltic
Sea, inhabited by brave men and women dedicated to democracy and
freedom from foreign domination. The people of Estonia have been under
foreign rule throughout almost their entire history. They were ruled by
Germans in the 13th century, Swedes in the 16th and 17th centuries, and
by Tsarist Russia in the 19th century. Finally, after World War I,
Estonia fought for independence for 2 years and won. The people of
Estonia established a parliamentary democracy and their republic
flourished for nearly two decades until the Soviet Union, and then Nazi
Germany invaded during World War II. With the end of Soviet domination,
Estonia and their Baltic neighbors look to the West for protection of
their right to independence.
Unfortunately, the subject of NATO expansion to Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania has become taboo. Many in the U.S. national security
community believe the Baltics, lying so close to Russia and within the
area Yaltsin considers to be Russia's sphere of influence, should not
be considered for NATO membership. In fact, in February, Russian
President Boris Yeltsin stated that Baltic membership in NATO would
have an ``extremely negative impact'' on stability in the region and
that the preservation of the Baltic nations' status outside blocs could
dispel ``still lingering fears for their security.'' We should not
allow these threatening comments to influence our efforts to expand
NATO.
Out of fear of isolating Russia, the United States and our European
allies may forsake three tiny nations that did so much to promote the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the eradication of communism
throughout Eastern Europe.
Cold war history is replete with tragedy. The expansion of the Soviet
Union across Eastern Europe is one of history's darkest moments.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all independent nations since 1918,
fell victim to secret negotiations between Hitler and Stalin during
World War II. Under the auspices of the Molotove-Ribbentrop Pact of
1939, the Soviet Union laid claim to the Baltics, invaded, and ruled
them with an iron fist from 1945 until 1991. Now it is time for NATO to
take decisive action to rectify the past and protect the nations of
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union from any future foreign
irredentism.
Future NATO membership for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania is
essential to their safety and prosperity. Democracy and economic reform
and expansion may be at risk to security if the Baltics continue to
exist, unprotected, in the shadow of an increasingly nationalistic
Russia. The United States must ensure that the Baltic nations are
invited to the NATO summit in Madrid and must work toward eventual
membership in our security alliance for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and thank Senators
D'Amato and Durbin for joining me as a original cosponsors.
____________________