[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.

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