[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S16017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 417--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
   UNITED STATES SHOULD EXPAND TRADE OPPORTUNITIES WITH MONGOLIA AND 
    INITIATE NEGOTIATIONS TO ENTER INTO A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH 
                                MONGOLIA

  Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Mr. Lugar, and Ms. Murkowski) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

                              S. Res. 417

       Whereas Mongolia declared an end to a 1-party Communist 
     state in 1990 and embarked on democratic and free market 
     reforms;
       Whereas the free market reforms include adopting democratic 
     electoral processes, enacting further political reform 
     measures, privatizing state enterprises, lifting price 
     controls, and improving fiscal discipline;
       Whereas, since 1990, Mongolia has made progress to 
     strengthen democratic governing institutions and protect 
     individual rights;
       Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 Country 
     Reports on Human Rights that Mongolia generally respects the 
     human rights of its citizens, although concerns remain, 
     including the treatment of prisoners, freedom of the press 
     and information, due process, and trafficking in persons;
       Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 
     International Religious Freedom report that Mongolia 
     generally respects freedom of religion, although some 
     concerns remain;
       Whereas Mongolia has been a member of the World Trade 
     Organization since 1997, and a member of the International 
     Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank 
     since 1991;
       Whereas, in 1999, the United States extended permanent 
     nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations 
     treatment) to the products of Mongolia;
       Whereas Mongolia has provided strong and consistent support 
     to the United States in the global war on terror, including 
     support for United States military forces and, since May 
     2003, contributed peace keepers to Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
     artillery trainers to Operation Enduring Freedom, and 
     personnel to the United Nations peace-keeping operations in 
     Kosovo and Sierra Leone;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia signed a bilateral 
     Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in 2004;
       Whereas Mongolia has expressed steadfast commitment to 
     greater economic reforms, including a commitment to encourage 
     and expand the role of the private sector, increase 
     transparency, strengthen the rule of law, combat corruption, 
     and comply with international standards for labor and 
     intellectual property rights protection;
       Whereas bilateral trade between the United States and 
     Mongolia in 2005 was valued at more than $165,000,000;
       Whereas, in November 2005, President George W. Bush became 
     the first President of the United States to visit Mongolia, 
     and on November 21, 2005, President Bush and President 
     Enkhbayar issued a joint statement declaring that the 2 
     countries are committed to defining guiding principles and 
     expanding the framework of the comprehensive partnership 
     between the United States and Mongolia;
       Whereas, on October 18, 2007, the Senate agreed to Senate 
     Resolution 352, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding 
     the 20th anniversary of the United States-Mongolia relations, 
     and encouraged continued economic cooperation with Mongolia;
       Whereas, on October 22, 2007, the United States and 
     Mongolia signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact 
     Agreement;
       Whereas, during the October 2007 visit of President 
     Enkhbayar to Washington, D.C., the United States and Mongolia 
     signed a Declaration of Principles for closer cooperation 
     between the 2 countries, reiterating a commitment to 
     expansion of development and long term cooperation in 
     political, economic, trade, investment, educational, 
     cultural, arts, scientific and technological, environmental, 
     health, defense, security, humanitarian, and other fields; 
     and
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia would benefit from 
     expanding and diversifying trade opportunities by reducing 
     tariff and nontariff barriers to trade: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     United States should continue to work with Mongolia to expand 
     bilateral trade opportunities and initiate negotiations to 
     enter into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.

                          ____________________