[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20086-20087]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      COMMENDING THE SIGNING OF THE UNITED STATES-ADRIATIC CHARTER

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 234, H. Con. 
Res. 209.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 209) commending the 
     signing of the United States-Adriatic Charter, a charter of 
     partnership among the United States, Albania, Croatia, and 
     Macedonia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
Foreign Relations, with amendments, amendments to the preamble, and an 
amendment to the title, as follows:

       [Strike the parts shown in black brackets and insert the 
     parts shown in italic.]

                            H. Con. Res. 209

       Whereas the United States has an enduring interest in the 
     independence, territorial integrity, and security of Albania, 
     Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 
     supports their full integration in the community of 
     democratic Euro-Atlantic states;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic 
     of Macedonia have taken clear and positive steps to advance 
     their integration into Europe by establishing close 
     cooperative relations among themselves and with their 
     neighbors, as well as their promotion of regional 
     cooperation;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic 
     of Macedonia have already contributed to European security 
     and to the peace and security of southeast Europe through the 
     resolution of conflicts in the region and their regional 
     cooperation in the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial;
       Whereas on May 2, 2003, the United States-Adriatic Charter 
     was signed in Tirana, Albania, by Secretary of State Colin 
     Powell, [Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta, Croatian 
     Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, and Macedonian Foreign 
     Minister] Albania Foreign Minister Ilir Meta, Croatia Foreign 
     Minister Tonino Picula, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of 
     Macedonia Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva;
       Whereas the Adriatic Charter affirms the commitment of 
     Albania, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of 
     Macedonia to the values and principles of the North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization (NATO) and to joining the Alliance at the 
     earliest possible time;
       Whereas Secretary of State Powell stated that the Adriatic 
     Charter ``reaffirms our partners' dedication to work 
     individually, with each other, and with their neighbors to 
     build a region of strong democracies powered by free market 
     economies . . . [i]t underscores the importance we place on 
     their eventual full integration into NATO and other European 
     institutions . . . [a]nd most importantly, the Charter 
     promises to strengthen the ties that bind the peoples of the 
     region to the United States, to one another, and to a common 
     future within the Euro-Atlantic family''; and
       Whereas [Albanian special forces troops were sent to Iraq 
     as part of the coalition forces during Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom, 29 Macedonian special forces troops were sent to 
     Iraq as part of the postwar stabilization force, and Albania, 
     Croatia, and Macedonia] 75 special forces troops of Albania 
     were sent to Iraq as part of the coalition forces during 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom, 29 special forces troops of The 
     Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were sent to Iraq as 
     part of the postwar stabilization force, and Albania, 
     Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all 
     contributed to the stabilization forces in Afghanistan, as 
     signs of their commitment to promote international freedom 
     and security: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That Congress--
       (1) strongly supports the United States-Adriatic Charter 
     and commends Albania, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav 
     Republic of Macedonia for their continued efforts to become 
     full-fledged members of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) and the European Union;
       (2) urges NATO to invite Albania, Croatia, and The Former 
     Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join NATO as soon as each 
     of these countries respectively demonstrates the ability to 
     assume the responsibilities of NATO membership through the 
     Membership Action Plan;
       (3) welcomes and supports the aspirations of Albania, 
     Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 
     join the European Union at the earliest opportunity;
       (4) recognizes that Albania, Croatia, and The Former 
     Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are making important strides 
     to bring their economic, military, and political institutions 
     into conformance with the standards of NATO and other Euro-
     Atlantic institutions; and
       (5) commends Secretary of State Powell for his personal 
     support of the Adriatic Charter.
       Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill commending the 
     signing of the United States-Adriatic Charter, a charter of 
     partnership among the United States, Albania, Croatia, and 
     The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.''.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
amendments to the concurrent resolution be agreed to, that the 
concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to, that the amendments to 
the preamble be agreed to, and that the preamble, as amended, be agreed 
to, that the amendment to the title be agreed to; further, that the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action 
or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendments to the concurrent resolution were agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 209), as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The amendments to the preamble were agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment to the title was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, 
reads as follows:
         Resolved, That the resolution from the House of 
     Representatives (H. Con. Res. 209) entitled ``Concurrent 
     resolution commending the signing of the United States-
     Adriatic Charter, a charter of partnership among the United 
     States, Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia.'', do pass with the 
     following amendments:
     (1)Page 3, line 4, after ``and'' the second time it appears 
     insert: The Former Yugoslav Republic of
     (2)Page 3, line 8, after ``and'' insert: The Former Yugoslav 
     Republic of
     (3)Page 3, line 14, after ``and'' insert: The Former Yugoslav 
     Republic of
     (4)Page 3, line 16, after ``and'' insert: The Former Yugoslav 
     Republic of
       Amend the preamble as follows:
     (5)Page 1, unnumbered line 6, after ``and'' insert: The 
     Former Yugoslav Republic of
     (6)Page 2, unnumbered line 4, after ``and'' insert: The 
     Former Yugoslav Republic of
     (7)Page 2, unnumbered line 11, strike out all after 
     ``Powell,'' down to an including ``Minister'' in unumbered 
     line 13 and insert: Albania Foreign Minister Ilir Meta, 
     Croatia Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, and The Former 
     Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Foreign Minister
     (8)Page 2, unnumbered line 15, after ``and'' the first time 
     it appears insert: The Former Yugoslav Republic of
     (9)Page 2, unnumbered line 29, strike out all after 
     ``Whereas'' over to an including ``Macedonia'' in unumbered 
     line 2 on page 3 and insert: 75 special forces troops of 
     Albania were sent to Iraq as part of the coalition forces 
     during Operation Iraqi Freedom, 29 special forces troops of 
     The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were sent to Iraq 
     as part of the postwar stabilization force, and Albania, 
     Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
       Amend the title so as to read: ``Concurrent resolution 
     commending the signing of the United States-Adriatic Charter, 
     a charter of

[[Page 20087]]

     partnership among the United States, Albania, Croatia, and 
     The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.''.

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