[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13131-S13132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNITED STATES-MONGOLIA RELATIONS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 352, submitted earlier 
today.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 352) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the 20th anniversary of United States-
     Mongolia relations.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 352) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               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 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--

[[Page S13132]]

       (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.

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