[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 82 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S4424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATING ALBANIA AND CROATIA

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 570, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 570) congratulating Albania and 
     Croatia on being invited to begin accession talks with the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization and expressing support for 
     continuing to enlarge the alliance.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam 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 PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 570) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 570

       Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met 
     in April 2008 to enlarge the alliance, to reaffirm the 
     purpose of NATO to defend the populations, territories, and 
     forces in the Euro-Atlantic region, and to further strengthen 
     the ability of NATO to confront existing and emerging 21st-
     century security threats;
       Whereas NATO invited Albania and Croatia to begin accession 
     talks to join NATO and indicated that those talks will begin 
     immediately, with the aim of signing Accession Protocols by 
     the end of July 2008 and completing the ratification process 
     without delay;
       Whereas NATO expressed recognition of the hard work and 
     commitment demonstrated by other countries that aspire to 
     join NATO and commended those countries for their efforts to 
     build multiethnic societies;
       Whereas NATO agreed that Ukraine and Georgia have made 
     valuable contributions to NATO operations, expressed clear 
     support for the applications for Membership Action Plans from 
     Ukraine and Georgia as the next step to full membership, and 
     stated that NATO will begin a period of intensive engagement 
     with Ukraine and Georgia to assess those applications for the 
     December 2008 meeting;
       Whereas NATO invited Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro 
     to begin an Intensified Dialogue on the full range of 
     political, military, financial, and security issues relating 
     to their aspirations to join NATO;
       Whereas NATO expressed the desire to develop an ambitious 
     and substantive relationship with Serbia, making full use of 
     Serbia's membership in the Partnership for Peace, and to make 
     more progress toward integrating Serbia into the Euro-
     Atlantic community, including though an Intensified Dialogue 
     following a request by Serbia; and
       Whereas NATO's ongoing enlargement process has been a 
     historic success in advancing stability and cooperation and 
     reaching the transatlantic goal of ensuring that Europe is 
     whole and free, and united in peace, democracy, and common 
     values: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates Albania and Croatia on being invited by 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to begin 
     accession talks and recognizes the historic nature of that 
     achievement, earned through years of hard work and a 
     demonstrated commitment to common security and the shared 
     values of NATO members;
       (2) expresses strong support for the timely completion of 
     the accession process with Albania and Croatia.
       (3) fully supports the invitations to initiate an 
     Intensified Dialogue between NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
     Montenegro, and Serbia;
       (4) continues to strongly support the aspirations of 
     Ukraine and Georgia to become integrated into the Euro-
     Atlantic community, as reaffirmed in Senate Resolution 523, 
     110th Congress, agreed to April 28, 2008;
       (5) supports the enlargement of NATO and believes that 
     continued engagement with all countries that aspire to join 
     NATO will strengthen security for all countries in the Euro-
     Atlantic region;
       (6) supports the declaration of NATO at the Bucharest 
     Summit, which states that NATO's door should remain open to 
     European democracies willing and able to assume the 
     responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance 
     with Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at 
     Washington April 4, 1949 (TIAS 1964); and
       (7) affirms the statement in that declaration that any 
     decision with respect to the membership of countries in NATO 
     will be made through consensus, by members of NATO, and no 
     country outside of NATO has a vote or veto with respect to 
     such decisions.

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