[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13099-S13100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 352--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
          20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNITED STATES-MONGOLIA RELATIONS

  Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. Biden) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 352

       Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations 
     with the Government of Mongolia in January 1987 and 
     established its first embassy in Ulaanbaatar in June 1988;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia are both fully 
     democratic states committed to the rule of law;
       Whereas, in 1991, the United States established normal 
     trade relations with Mongolia and began a Peace Corps program 
     that now boasts approximately 100 volunteers;
       Whereas the United States has a continued commitment to 
     Mongolia's economic and political development and has 
     contributed over $150,000,000 in aid for that purpose since 
     1991;
       Whereas the United States has supported Mongolia's 
     participation in the International Monetary Fund, the World 
     Bank, and the Asian Development Bank;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia strengthened their 
     trade relationship through the signing of a Trade and 
     Investment Framework Agreement in 2004 to boost bilateral 
     commercial ties and resolve trade disputes;
       Whereas Mongolia continues to work with the United States 
     to combat global terrorism and, since April 2003, has 
     contributed engineers, troops, and medical personnel to 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom and has participated in training 
     National Army artillery units in Afghanistan;
       Whereas Mongolia has demonstrated an expanding desire to 
     join the United States in

[[Page S13100]]

     global peacekeeping activities by sending a contingent of 250 
     soldiers to protect the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a 
     platoon to participate in the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) mission in Kosovo, and personnel to serve 
     as United Nations observers in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia share an interest in 
     promoting peaceful cooperation in south central Asia; and
       Whereas Mongolia was named eligible for Millennium 
     Challenge Compact assistance on May 6, 2004, submitted its 
     official proposal on October 13, 2005, and had its proposal 
     approved by the Millennium Challenge Corporation on September 
     12, 2007: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the strength and endurance of the partnership between 
     the United States and Mongolia should be acknowledged and 
     celebrated;
       (2) the United States should encourage continued economic 
     cooperation with Mongolia, including in areas such as mining, 
     construction, information technology, tourism, and meat 
     processing, to the betterment of both our economies;
       (3) the United States should continue to work with the 
     International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian 
     Development Bank to improve Mongolia's economic system;
       (4) the United States should provide Mongolia assistance 
     under the Millennium Challenge Compact and work to finalize 
     the compact in a timely fashion; and
       (5) the United States should encourage greater academic and 
     cultural exchanges with Mongolia.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, Mongolia has made incredible strides to 
improve its relationship with the United States since 1987. Following 
the downfall of communism in that nation, our ties have grown 
exponentially.
  Mongolia has worked hard in the past two decades to create a robust 
and strong democracy and the United States has been a partner in that 
effort from its inception.
  Although it lies on the other side of the globe and sits between 
Russia and China, Mongolia has long sought close ties with the United 
States, with some even referring to the United States as its ``Third 
Neighbor.''
  On the economic front, the United States-Mongolian relationship is 
dynamic and growing with over one hundred U.S. and U.S.-Mongolian joint 
ventures registered in areas ranging from oil exploration, textiles, 
animal husbandry, tourism, mining, and banking. The United States is 
also one of Mongolia's largest sources of foreign investment.
  While a large recipient of foreign aid, Mongolia still commits itself 
to giving back to the global community through its significant 
peacekeeping efforts in Africa and Eastern Europe, with personnel in 
Sierra Leone and Kosovo.
  Mongolia is also a strong partner in the War on Terror. Mongolia has 
contributed engineers, troops, and medical personnel to Operation Iraqi 
Freedom and has participated in training National Army artillery units 
in Afghanistan. Prior to 2000, Mongolia did not have a national policy 
of deploying forces beyond its borders. Yet they were the first 
coalition country to contribute an infantry battalion to Iraq.
  Mongolia's contributions mean a bit more to the State of Alaska. 
Since 2003, we have partnered with Mongolia through the Alaska-Mongolia 
National Guard Partnership. Our National Guard has established broad 
working relationships and increased exchanges with their Mongolian 
partners. They stand side by side with the Mongolian Armed Forces in 
Iraq--in fact, the Mongolian Ministry of Defense specifically requested 
Alaska National Guard support based on Alaska's relationship with their 
nation.
  The success that the partnership has enjoyed is a direct reflection 
of the willingness and eagerness on both sides to further our 
relations. The Alaska National Guard tells me that Mongolia is 
enthusiastic about their democratic reforms and is aggressively working 
to meet its goals.
  So with 2007 being the 20th Anniversary of U.S.-Mongolia relations, I 
am proud to introduce this resolution marking our ties and the 
significant progress that has been achieved between our two countries 
in that short time frame. I look forward to what the next 20 years will 
bring.

                          ____________________