[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11752-11753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    CONGRATULATING SLOVENIA ON ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 116, submitted 
earlier by Senators Voinovich and Biden.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 116) congratulating the Republic of 
     Slovenia on its tenth anniversary of independence.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I rise today to congratulate the people 
and Republic of Slovenia on their tenth anniversary of independence. It 
is a privilege to join my Republican colleague, Senator George 
Voinovich, as an original cosponsor of the legislation he introduced 
today to pay tribute to the remarkable transformation of Slovenia into 
a free, democratic state during the past decade.
  Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the break-up of the former 
Yugoslavia, no country in either Southern or Eastern Europe has made 
greater and faster progress in embracing human rights, the rule of law, 
open markets, and democratic governance.
  At the same time, Slovenia has demonstrated both the readiness and 
the capacity to become a regional leader in pursuit of peace and 
stability that has long suffered from ethnic divisiveness, turmoil, and 
bloodshed. Let me cite just one example. Slovenia took the initiative a 
few years ago to establish the International Trust Fund for De-Mining, 
ITF, which has become the leading organization to rid the Balkans of 
landmines and to rehabilitate the victims of these deadly weapons. In 
so

[[Page 11753]]

doing, it is the Slovenians who deserve the credit for securing 
contributions from the U.S. and eighteen other Nations as well as many 
private donors to meet this urgent humanitarian challenge. I am hopeful 
that this Congress will authorize and appropriate a second U.S. 
contribution to help sustain the outstanding work of the ITF this year 
and beyond.
  Slovenia has also become an active member of various international 
organizations, including the United Nations, the World Trade 
Organization, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe. Therefore, it is not surprising that 
President Bush and Russian President Putin held their first summit 
meeting earlier this month in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
  I salute the remarkable courage of the Slovenian people in achieving 
their quest for free and democratic government as well as their 
entrepreneurial drive in building a vibrant, growing national economy 
in such a short span of time. Accordingly, the U.S. and our NATO allies 
should move forthwith to extend a formal invitation for Slovenia to 
become a full-fledged NATO member within the next 12-18 months.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Madam President, today, I am joined by Senators Biden, 
DeWine, and Harkin in congratulating the Republic of Slovenia on its 
tenth anniversary of independence.
  Ten years ago today, on June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia 
declared itself an independent and sovereign Nation. Since that time, 
Slovenia has remained a model of reform and progress in Central and 
Eastern Europe, working to promote democratic ideals, respect for human 
rights and the rule of law, and the merits of free market economic 
systems.
  Slovenia has made great strides in its work to join the NATO Alliance 
and the European Union. In addition to its outstanding human rights 
record and commitment to the democratic process, the people of Slovenia 
enjoy the highest per capita gross domestic product in the region, and 
the country's economy continues to grow. Slovenia has also demonstrated 
its ability to contribute to international peacekeeping operations, 
including NATO's Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well 
as NATO's force in Kosovo, among others. Given its record in these 
regards, I believe the Republic of Slovenia stands as a strong 
candidate for NATO membership when the Alliance considers enlargement 
in Prague in November 2002.
  Slovenia's progress extends beyond domestic reform and foreign policy 
goals. In Southeast Europe, a part of the world that continues to feel 
the burden of decades of war and ethnic strife, Slovenia continues to 
serve as a leader in efforts to remove destructive land mines in the 
region. The International Trust Fund for Demining, ITF, established by 
the Slovenian government in 1998, has undertaken more than 200 projects 
in the Balkans since its creation. As a result, more than 12 million 
square meters of land have been cleared throughout Albania, Croatia, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. In addition, the ITF Mine Victims' 
Assistance program has helped more than 500 people in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina who have been injured by land mines. Congress provided 
matching funds to assist the International Trust Fund for Demining in 
1998, and this year the United States will again consider funding for 
this important initiative.
  As the Republic of Slovenia has made considerable and important 
progress during its 10 years of independence, working to promote peace, 
stability and prosperity in Central and Eastern Europe, I am pleased to 
have the opportunity to submit this resolution on the occasion of 
Slovenia's 10th anniversary of independence. I congratulate the people 
of Slovenia on their accomplishments thus far, and I urge them to 
continue their significant work to advance the ideals of democracy, 
human rights, the rule of law and free market economies throughout the 
Balkans region.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and finally, that any statements 
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 116) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The text of S. Res. 116 is located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Submitted Resolutions''.)

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