[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 31, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 62--CONGRATULATING UKRAINE ON THE 10TH 
 ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF ITS INDEPENDENCE AND SUPPORTING ITS 
    FULL INTEGRATION INTO THE EURO-ATLANTIC COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES

  Mr. HELMS (for himself, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Levin) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 62

       Whereas August 24, 2001, marks the tenth anniversary of the 
     restoration of independence in Ukraine;
       Whereas the United States, having recognized Ukraine as an 
     independent state on December 25, 1991, and having 
     established diplomatic relations with Ukraine on January 2, 
     1992, recognizes that fulfillment of the vision of a Europe 
     whole, free, and secure requires a strong, stable, democratic 
     Ukraine fully integrated in the Euro-Atlantic community of 
     democracies;
       Whereas, during the fifth anniversary commemorating 
     Ukraine's independence, the United States established a 
     strategic partnership with Ukraine to promote the national 
     security interests of the United States in a free, sovereign, 
     and independent Ukrainian state;
       Whereas Ukraine is an important European nation, having the 
     second largest territory and sixth largest population in 
     Europe;
       Whereas Ukraine is a member of international organizations 
     such as the Council of Europe and the Organization on 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as 
     international financial institutions such as the 
     International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the 
     European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD);
       Whereas in July 1994, Ukraine's presidential elections 
     marked the first peaceful and democratic transfer of 
     executive power among the independent states of the former 
     Soviet Union;
       Whereas five years ago, on June 28, 1996, Ukraine's 
     parliament voted to adopt a Ukrainian Constitution, which 
     upholds the values of freedom and democracy, ensures a 
     citizen's right to own private property, and outlines the 
     basis for the rule of law in Ukraine without regard for race, 
     religion, creed, or ethnicity;
       Whereas Ukraine has been a paragon of inter-ethnic 
     cooperation and harmony as evidenced by the OSCE's and the 
     United States State Department's annual human rights reports 
     and the international community's commendation for Ukraine's 
     peaceful handling of the Crimean secession disputes in 1994;
       Whereas Ukraine, through the efforts of its government, has 
     reversed the downward trend in its economy, experiencing the 
     first real economic growth since its independence in fiscal 
     year 2000 and the first quarter of 2001;
       Whereas Ukraine furthered the privatization of its economy 
     through the privatization of agricultural land in 2001, when 
     the former collective farms were turned over to corporations, 
     private individuals, or cooperatives, thus creating an 
     environment that leads to greater economic independence and 
     prosperity;
       Whereas Ukraine has taken major steps to stem world nuclear 
     proliferation by ratifying the START I Treaty on nuclear 
     disarmament and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of 
     Nuclear Weapons, subsequently has turned over the last of its 
     Soviet-era nuclear warheads on June 1, 1996, and in 1998 
     agreed not to assist Iran with the completion of a nuclear 
     power plant in Bushehr thought to be used for the possible 
     production of weapons of mass destruction;
       Whereas Ukraine has found many methods to implement 
     military cooperation with its European neighbors, as well as 
     peacekeeping initiatives worldwide, as exhibited by Ukraine's 
     participation in the KFOR and IFOR missions in the former 
     Yugoslavia, and offering up its own forces to be part of the 
     greater United Nations border patrol missions in the Middle 
     East and the African continent;
       Whereas Ukraine became a member of the North Atlantic 
     Cooperation Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance 
     (NATO), signed a NATO-Ukraine Charter at the Madrid Summit in 
     July 1997, and has been a participant in the Partnership for 
     Peace (PfP) program since 1994 with regular training 
     maneuvers at the Yavoriv military base in Ukraine and on 
     Ukraine's southern-most shores of the Black Sea;
       Whereas on June 7, 2001, Ukraine signed a charter for the 
     GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) 
     alliance, in hopes of promoting regional interests, 
     increasing cooperation, and building economic stability; and
       Whereas 15 years ago, the Soviet-induced nuclear tragedy of 
     Chornobyl gripped Ukrainian lands with insurmountable curies 
     of radiation which will affect generations of Ukraine's 
     inhabitants, and thus, now, Ukraine promotes safety for its 
     citizens and its neighboring countries, as well as concern 
     for the preservation of the environment by closing the last 
     Chornobyl nuclear reactor on December 15, 2000: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) as a leader of the democratic nations of the world, the 
     United States congratulates the people of Ukraine on their 
     tenth anniversary of independence and supports peace, 
     prosperity, and democracy in Ukraine;
       (2) Ukraine has made significant progress in its political 
     reforms during the first ten years of its independence, as is 
     evident by the adoption of its Constitution five years ago;
       (3) the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and 
     independence of Ukraine within its existing borders is an 
     important factor of peace and stability in Europe;
       (4) the President, the Prime Minister, and Parliament of 
     Ukraine should continue to enact political reforms necessary 
     to ensure that the executive, legislative, and judicial 
     branches of the Government of Ukraine transparently represent 
     the interests of the Ukrainian people;
       (5) the Government and President of Ukraine should promote 
     fundamental democratic principles of freedom of speech, 
     assembly, and a free press;
       (6) the Government and President of Ukraine should actively 
     pursue in an open and transparent fashion investigations into 
     violence committed against journalists, including the murders 
     of Heorhiy Gongadze and Ihor Oleksandorv
       (7) the Government of Ukraine (including the President and 
     Parliament of Ukraine) should uphold international standards 
     and procedures of free and fair elections in preparation for 
     its upcoming parliamentary elections in March 2002;
       (8) the Government of Ukraine (including the President and 
     Parliament of Ukraine) should continue to accelerate its 
     efforts to transform its economy into one founded upon free 
     market principles and governed by the rule of law;
       (9) the United States supports all efforts to promote a 
     civil society in Ukraine that features a vibrant community of 
     nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and an active, 
     independent, and free press;
       (10) the Government of Ukraine (including the President and 
     Parliament of Ukraine) should follow a westward-leaning 
     foreign policy whose priority is the integration of Ukraine 
     into Euro-Atlantic structures;
       (11) the President of the United States should continue to 
     consider the interests and security of Ukraine in reviewing 
     or revising any European military and security arrangements, 
     understandings, or treaties; and
       (12) the President of the United States should continue to 
     support and encourage Ukraine's role in NATO's Partnership 
     for Peace program and the deepening of Ukraine's relationship 
     with NATO.

     SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

       The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
     resolution to the President of the United States with the 
     further request that the President transmit such copy to the 
     Government of Ukraine.

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