[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 25843-25844]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 
         VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA TO THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of 
S. Res. 250, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will state the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows.

       A resolution (S. Res. 250) commending the people and the 
     government of Romania on the occasion of the visit of 
     Romanian President Ion Iliescu to the United States, for the 
     important progress they have made with respect to economic 
     reform and democratic development, as well as for the strong 
     relationship between Romania and the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. 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 any statements relating to the 
resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 250) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 250

       Whereas, in 1995, Romania joined with the United States and 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide 
     assistance to the Stabilization Force (SFOR) deployed to 
     Bosnia and Herzegovina to support peace, security, and 
     freedom in the western Balkans;
       Whereas, in 1999, Romania joined with the United States and 
     NATO member countries to provide assistance for Operation 
     Allied Force to use military force in order to halt the 
     genocide, known as ethnic cleansing, that was taking place in 
     Kosovo;
       Whereas, after the conclusion of Operation Allied Force, 
     Romania provided support to democracy activists from the 
     Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in their successful efforts to 
     end the rule of Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic, and 
     also provided support to NATO stabilization forces deployed 
     in Kosovo Force (KFOR);
       Whereas, following the terrorist attacks upon the United 
     States in September 2001,

[[Page 25844]]

     the Government of Romania immediately expressed its sympathy 
     for Americans and others killed in the attacks and pledged 
     its full support in fighting the war on terror;
       Whereas, on September 19, 2001, the Romanian Parliament 
     voted to open Romanian territory and airspace to United 
     States Armed Forces involved in Operation Enduring Freedom in 
     Afghanistan;
       Whereas thousands of American aircraft flew through 
     Romanian airspace during the combat phase of Operation 
     Enduring Freedom, and continue to do so as part of peace-
     building efforts;
       Whereas, beginning on June 2002, Romanian aircraft flew 
     Romanian soldiers to serve in Afghanistan as part of the 
     forces involved in Operation Enduring Freedom and the 
     International Security Assistance Force, and over 500 elite 
     Romanian soldiers are currently stationed in Afghanistan;
       Whereas Romania stood with the United States as a vital 
     member of the international coalition in Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom by offering diplomatic, political, and military 
     support;
       Whereas, in a January 31, 2003, letter to President George 
     W. Bush, President Ion Iliescu of Romania stated that 
     ``Romania can understand that aggressive dictators cannot be 
     appeased or ignored, but always be opposed. Romanians indeed 
     know the value of freedom and living in peace. They have seen 
     the face of evil embodied in communism and deeply share your 
     conviction, expressed in the State of the Union address, that 
     `free people will set the course of history''';
       Whereas, on February 12, 2003, the Romanian Parliament 
     voted to open Romanian territory and airspace to United 
     States Armed Forces carrying out Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas hundreds of American aircraft flew through Romanian 
     airspace and landed at Romanian airfields during the combat 
     phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom from May to July 2003;
       Whereas thousands of United States soldiers were stationed 
     and transported into the Iraq theatre of operations from 
     Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, and the neighboring Black Sea 
     port of Constantza was also used in the fall of 2002 and 
     spring of 2003 for rotating United States Armed Forces and 
     equipment in and out of the Balkans;
       Whereas, beginning on March 12, 2003, Romania began 
     deploying military forces to Iraq to assist in building 
     security, peace, and democracy, and over 750 Romanian 
     soldiers are currently stationed in Iraq;
       Whereas the Government of Romania has spent more than 
     $160,000,000 during the past two years to fund its 
     participation in SFOR, KFOR, Operation Enduring Freedom, the 
     International Security Assistance Force, and Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom;
       Whereas, together with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, 
     Lithuania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, Romania successfully 
     achieved the military, economic, and political reforms 
     necessary to be invited, at the November 2002 summit meeting 
     in Prague of the North Atlantic Council, to join the NATO 
     alliance;
       Whereas, in his historic address at Piata Revolutiei on 
     November 23, 2002, President Bush told the Romanian people 
     that ``Romania has made a historic journey. Instead of 
     hatred, you have chosen tolerance. Instead of destructive 
     rivalry with your neighbors, you have chosen reconciliation. 
     Instead of state control, you have chosen free markets and 
     the rule of law. And instead of dictatorship, you have built 
     a proud and working democracy.''; and
       Whereas, on May 8, 2003, the Senate voted 96 to 0 to 
     approve the resolution of advice and consent to the Protocols 
     to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of 
     Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and 
     Slovenia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) appreciates the support expressed by the people of 
     Romania for strong and vibrant relations between the United 
     States and Romania;
       (2) recognizes the steps the Government of Romania has 
     taken and continues to take in economic, political, and 
     social reforms, including reforms to improve protections of 
     the rights of minorities and to promote awareness and 
     understanding of the Holocaust;
       (3) commends Romania for its leadership and commitment in 
     promoting regional peace and security in the Balkan and Black 
     Sea regions;
       (4) values the participation of a significant number of 
     Romanian troops and civilian experts in Operation Enduring 
     Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the permission granted 
     by the Government of Romania for the United States to use 
     Romanian airspace and territory, and the deployment of 
     Romanian military forces in support of Operation Enduring 
     Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, all of which have been 
     important contributions to the global war on terror and serve 
     as a tangible and ongoing demonstration of Romania's 
     commitment as an ally of the United States;
       (5) supports further cooperation between the United States 
     and Romania in the process of stabilizing and reconstructing 
     Iraq, including the utilization of Romania's experience 
     emerging from a Communist dictatorship and creating a 
     functioning democracy and free market economy; and
       (6) welcomes Romanian President Ion Iliescu to the United 
     States and looks forward to expanded political, diplomatic, 
     economic, and military cooperation between Romania and the 
     United States.

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