[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5576-S5577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 EXECUTIVE REPORT OF COMMITTEE--TREATY

  The following executive report of committee was submitted:

       By Mr. RISCH, from the Committee on Foreign Relations:
       Treaty Doc. 116-1: Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 
     1949 on the Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia with 
     seven declarations and one condition (Ex. Rept. 116-5)

  The text of the committee-recommended resolution of advice and 
consent to ratification is as follows:

       Resolved, (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring 
     therein),
       Section 1. Senate Advice and Consent Subject to 
     Declarations and Conditions.
       The Senate advises and consents to the ratification of the 
     Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the 
     Accession of North Macedonia, which was opened for signature 
     at Brussels on February 6, 2019, and signed that day on 
     behalf of the United States of America (the ``Protocol'') 
     (Treaty Doc. 116-1), subject to the declarations of section 2 
     and the conditions of section 3.
       Sec. 2. Declarations.
       The advice and consent of the Senate under section 1 is 
     subject to the following declarations:
       (1) Reaffirmation--that united states membership in nato 
     remains a vital national security interest of the united 
     states. The Senate declares that--
       (A) for 70 years the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
     (NATO) has served as the preeminent organization to defend 
     the countries in the North Atlantic area against all external 
     threats;
       (B) through common action, the established democracies of 
     North America and Europe that were joined in NATO persevered 
     and prevailed in the task of ensuring the survival of 
     democratic government in Europe and North America throughout 
     the Cold War;
       (C) NATO enhances the security of the United States by 
     embedding European states in a process of cooperative 
     security planning and by ensuring an ongoing and direct 
     leadership role for the United States in European security 
     affairs;
       (D) the responsibility and financial burden of defending 
     the democracies of Europe and North America can be more 
     equitably shared through an alliance in which specific 
     obligations and force goals are met by its members;
       (E) the security and prosperity of the United States is 
     enhanced by NATO's collective defense against aggression that 
     may threaten the security of NATO members; and
       (F) United States membership in NATO remains a vital 
     national security interest of the United States.
       (2) Strategic rationale for nato enlargement.--The Senate 
     declares that--
       (A) the United States and its NATO allies face 
     continued threats to their stability and territorial 
     integrity;
       (B) an attack against North Macedonia, or its 
     destabilization arising from external subversion, would 
     threaten the stability of Europe and jeopardize United States 
     national security interests;
       (C) North Macedonia, having established a democratic 
     government and having demonstrated a willingness to meet the 
     requirements of membership, including those necessary to 
     contribute to the defense of all NATO members, is in a 
     position to further the principles of the North Atlantic 
     Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North 
     Atlantic area; and
       (D) extending NATO membership to North Macedonia will 
     strengthen NATO, enhance stability in Southeast Europe, and 
     advance the interests of the United States and its NATO 
     allies.
       (3) Support for nato's open door policy.--The policy of the 
     United States is to support NATO's Open Door Policy that 
     allows any European country to express its desire to join 
     NATO and demonstrate its ability to meet the obligations of 
     NATO membership.
       (4) Future consideration of candidates for membership in 
     nato.--
       (A) Senate finding.--The Senate finds that the United 
     States will not support the accession to the North Atlantic 
     Treaty of, or the invitation to begin accession talks with, 
     any European state (other than North Macedonia), unless--
       (i) the President consults with the Senate consistent with 
     Article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the 
     United States (relating to the advice and consent of the 
     Senate to the making of treaties); and
       (ii) the prospective NATO member can fulfill all of the 
     obligations and responsibilities of membership, and the 
     inclusion of such state in NATO would serve the overall 
     political and strategic interests of NATO and the United 
     States.
       (B) Requirement for consensus and ratification.--The Senate 
     declares that no action or agreement other than a consensus 
     decision by the full membership of NATO, approved by the 
     national procedures of each NATO member, including, in the 
     case of the United States, the requirements of Article II, 
     section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States 
     (relating to the advice and consent of the Senate to the 
     making of treaties), will constitute a commitment to 
     collective defense and consultations pursuant to Articles 4 
     and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

[[Page S5577]]

       (5) Influence of non-nato members on nato decisions.--The 
     Senate declares that any country that is not a member of NATO 
     shall have no impact on decisions related to NATO 
     enlargement.
       (6) Support for 2014 wales summit defense spending 
     benchmark.--The Senate declares that all NATO members should 
     continue to move towards the guideline outlined in the 2014 
     Wales Summit Declaration to spend a minimum of 2 percent of 
     their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense and 20 percent 
     of their defense budgets on major equipment, including 
     research and development, by 2024.
       (7) Support for north macedonia's reform process.--The 
     Senate declares that--
       (A) North Macedonia has made difficult reforms and 
     taken steps to address corruption, but the United States 
     and other NATO member states should not consider this 
     important process complete and should continue to urge 
     additional reforms; and
       (B) North Macedonia and Greece's conclusion of the Prespa 
     Agreement, which resolved a long-standing bilateral dispute, 
     has made possible the former's invitation to NATO, and the 
     United States and other NATO members should continue to press 
     both nations to persevere in their continued implementation 
     of the Agreement and encourage a strategic partnership 
     between the two nations.
       Sec. 3. Conditions.
       The advice and consent of the Senate under section 1 is 
     subject to the following conditions:
       (1) Presidential certification.--Prior to the deposit of 
     the instrument of ratification, the President shall certify 
     to the Senate as follows:
       (A) The inclusion of North Macedonia in NATO will not have 
     the effect of increasing the overall percentage share of the 
     United States in the common budgets of NATO.
       (B) The inclusion of North Macedonia in NATO does not 
     detract from the ability of the United States to meet or to 
     fund its military requirements outside the North Atlantic 
     area.
       Sec. 4. Definitions.
       In this resolution:
       (1) NATO members.--The term ``NATO members'' means all 
     countries that are parties to the North Atlantic Treaty.
       (2) Non-NATO members.--The term ``non-NATO members'' means 
     all countries that are not parties to the North Atlantic 
     Treaty.
       (3) North Atlantic area.--The term ``North Atlantic area'' 
     means the area covered by Article 6 of the North Atlantic 
     Treaty, as applied by the North Atlantic Council.
       (4) North Atlantic Treaty.--The term ``North Atlantic 
     Treaty'' means the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at 
     Washington April 4, 1949 (63 Stat. 2241; TIAS 1964), as 
     amended--
       (5) United States instrument of ratification.--The term 
     ``United States instrument of ratification'' means the 
     instrument of ratification of the United States of the 
     Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the 
     Accession of North Macedonia.

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