[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 105 (Monday, June 8, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 609--RECOGNIZING THAT FOR 45 YEARS, PAPUA NEW GUINEA 
 AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE SHARED A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP BASED ON SHARED 
GOALS OF STABILITY, PROSPERITY, AND PEACE IN THE REGION, AND EXPRESSING 
THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN 
         A STRONG, RELIABLE, AND ACTIVE PARTNER IN THE PACIFIC

  Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 609

       Whereas Papua New Guinea became independent on September 
     16, 1975;
       Whereas Papua New Guinea is a valued security partner of 
     the United States, participating in the International 
     Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which sends 
     members of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force to professional 
     military education courses in the United States;
       Whereas the United States has partnered with Papua New 
     Guinea and Australia to modernize Papua New Guinea Defence 
     Force's Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island to assist Papua 
     New Guinea in defending its sovereignty and maritime rights;
       Whereas the United States Government supports cooperative 
     activities with Papua New Guinea, including sustainable 
     fisheries management, HIV/AIDS prevention, and care, and 
     those authorized by the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act;
       Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) expands the 
     number of countries that receive assistance under the Indo-
     Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including Papua New 
     Guinea;
       Whereas Papua New Guinea hosted the Asia Pacific Economic 
     Cooperation (APEC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Summit in 
     November 2018; and
       Whereas Palm Desert, California and Port Moresby, Papua New 
     Guinea are sister cities, a broad-based, long-term 
     partnership to promote peace through mutual respect, 
     understanding, and cooperation centered on people-to-people 
     exchanges: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends Papua New Guinea on successfully maintaining a 
     parliamentary democracy since independence, and its ongoing 
     efforts to deliver greater transparency in infrastructure 
     development and accountability in government;
       (2) supports and affirms the full implementation of 
     provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 
     (Public Law 115-409) with regard to deepening its cooperation 
     with Papua New Guinea in areas of mutual interest, including 
     fisheries and marine resource conservation, environmental 
     challenges and resilience, global health, development and 
     trade, people-to-people ties, and continuing United States 
     assistance, as appropriate, to support the rule of law, good 
     governance, and economic development;
       (3) supports the Papua New Guinea Electrification 
     Partnership in cooperation with Australia, Japan, and New 
     Zealand, a project to connect 70 percent of the population to 
     electricity by 2030, and the executive branch's commitment to 
     principles-based, sustainable infrastructure development that 
     is transparent, non-discriminatory, environmentally 
     responsible, promotes fair and open competition, upholds 
     robust standards, meets the genuine needs of the people of 
     Papua New Guinea, and avoids unsustainable debt burdens; and
       (4) recognizes Papua New Guinea's participation in 
     multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, 
     International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development 
     Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Trade 
     Organization, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional 
     Environmental Programme, as well as the Pacific Islands 
     Forum; Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, 
     Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum 
     (ARF), the Pacific Community, and the South Pacific Regional 
     Environmental Program.
  

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