[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      WELCOMING BULGARIA INTO NATO

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on Monday there was a 
historic ceremony at the White House where President George W. Bush 
welcomed Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and 
Latvia into NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  I am particularly pleased of Bulgaria's entry as they are rapidly 
rising from decades of communist totalitarianism, which I have seen 
firsthand since my first visit to Sofia in June 1990. Bulgaria has been 
one of America's most courageous allies in the war on terrorism, 
providing troops for the liberation campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  I want to personally thank the visionary Bulgarian patriots who have 
worked so hard to make today possible, including Prime Minister Simeon 
Saxe-Coburg Gotha, President Georgi Parvanov, Ambassador Elena 
Poptodorova, Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi, Defense Minister Nikolai 
Svinarov, Speaker Ognian Gerdjikov, Deputy Chief of Mission Emil 
Yalnazov, Ambassador Stefan Stoyanov, and Congressional Liaison Officer 
Zlatin Krastev.
  In conclusion, may God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September 11.

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