[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 92 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6819-S6820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 192--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING 
SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MONGOLIA AND EXPANDING 
            RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MONGOLIA

  Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Webb, and Ms. Murkowski) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 192

       Whereas the United States Government established diplomatic 
     relations with the Government of Mongolia in January 1987;
       Whereas the Government of Mongolia declared an end to one-
     party Communist rule in 1990 and initiated democratic and 
     free market reforms;
       Whereas the United States Government has a continued 
     commitment to ongoing economic and political reforms in 
     Mongolia and has made sizeable contributions for that purpose 
     since 1991;
       Whereas, in 1991, the United States established Normal 
     Trade Relations (NTR) status with Mongolia and began a Peace 
     Corps program that now boasts over 100 volunteers and over 
     725 volunteers since its creation, and is one of the largest 
     per capita Peace Corps programs worldwide;
       Whereas the United States extended permanent NTR status 
     effective July 1, 1999;
       Whereas the United States has strongly supported the 
     participation of Mongolia in the International Monetary Fund, 
     the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European 
     Bank for Reconstruction and Development, among other 
     international organizations;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia enhanced their trade 
     relationship through the signing of a Trade and Investment 
     Framework Agreement in 2004 to boost bilateral commercial 
     ties and amicably resolve disagreements over trade;
       Whereas the Government of Mongolia continues to work with 
     the United States Government to combat global terrorism and, 
     from April 2003 to October 2008, sent 10 consecutive 
     deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom and 7 indirect fire 
     technical training teams to Afghanistan;
       Whereas the Government of Mongolia continues to demonstrate 
     a growing desire to join the United States in global 
     peacekeeping activities by providing an ongoing deployment of 
     soldiers to protect the Special Court for Sierra Leone, as 
     well as providing deployments in support of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization mission in Kosovo and United 
     Nations missions in a number of countries in Africa;
       Whereas the Government of Mongolia signed denuclearization 
     agreements in 1991 and 1992, making Mongolia a nuclear 
     weapons-free zone;
       Whereas Mongolia was deemed eligible for Millennium 
     Challenge Compact assistance on May 6, 2004, submitted its 
     official proposal on October 13, 2005, received approval for 
     its proposal from the Millennium Challenge Corporation on 
     September 12, 2007, and signed a Millennium Challenge 
     Corporation Compact Agreement on October 22, 2007, during a 
     visit to the United States by then-Mongolian President 
     Nambaryn Enkhbayar;
       Whereas President George W. Bush became the first-ever 
     sitting United States President to travel to Mongolia on 
     November 21, 2005;
       Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission began a 
     program to provide parliamentary assistance to the State 
     Great Hural, the parliament of Mongolia, in 2007;
       Whereas Senate Resolution 352, 110th Congress, agreed to 
     October 18, 2007, expressed the sense of the Senate on ``the 
     strength and endurance'' of the partnership between the 
     United States and Mongolia during the 20th anniversary of 
     relations between the two countries;
       Whereas the United States and Mongolia signed an agreement 
     to increase cooperation in preventing trafficking in nuclear 
     technology on October 23, 2007;
       Whereas, during the October 2007 visit by then-President 
     Enkhbayar to Washington, DC, the United States and Mongolia 
     agreed to a Declaration of Principles for further cooperation 
     between both countries, including a commitment to expanded 
     development and long-term cooperation in political, economic, 
     trade, investment, educational, cultural, arts, scientific 
     and technological, defense, security, humanitarian, and other 
     areas;
       Whereas the people of Mongolia completed a free, fair, and 
     peaceful democratic election on May 24, 2009, which resulted 
     in the election of opposition Democratic Party candidate 
     Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj;
       Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on 
     June 9, 2009, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 
     of Mongolia, S. Batbold, that the United States is 
     ``committed to supporting the government and people of 
     Mongolia as they seek assistance to develop, as they continue 
     their democratization, and as they reach out to the rest of 
     the world''; and
       Whereas the United States Government and the Government of 
     Mongolia share a common interest in promoting peaceful 
     cooperation in Northeast Asia and Central Asia: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the growing partnership between the democratic 
     governments and peoples of the United States and Mongolia 
     deserves acknowledgment and celebration;

[[Page S6820]]

       (2) the democratic election and peaceful transition of 
     power in Mongolia is an important demonstration of the 
     continuing commitment in that country to democratic reform 
     and represents a significant achievement for that young 
     democracy;
       (3) the United States Government encourages further 
     economic cooperation with the Government of Mongolia, 
     including, as appropriate, enhanced trade and investment to 
     promote prosperity for both of our economies;
       (4) the United States Government should continue to work 
     with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the 
     Asian Development Bank, and the European Bank for 
     Reconstruction and Development to assist the Government of 
     Mongolia in improving its economic system and accelerating 
     development;
       (5) the United States Government should continue to provide 
     Mongolia assistance under the Millennium Challenge Compact 
     and encourage further effective and accountable governance; 
     and
       (6) the United States Government should expand upon 
     existing academic, cultural, and other people-to-people 
     exchanges with Mongolia.

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