[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Page 31939]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 86--CONGRATULATING THE PEOPLE AND 
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN ON THE TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
   THE INDEPENDENCE OF KAZAKHSTAN AND PRAISING THE LONGSTANDING AND 
      GROWING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND KAZAKHSTAN

  Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. Burns) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:
       Whereas, on December 16, 2003, the people of the Republic 
     of Kazakhstan will celebrate 12 years of independence, and on 
     December 25, 2003, the United States and Kazakhstan will mark 
     the 12th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two 
     countries;
       Whereas Kazakhstan in a short period of time has managed to 
     shed totalitarian shackles and become a dynamically 
     developing civil society in which public and private 
     institutions are strong, effective democratic mechanisms and 
     the rule of law are established, and basic human rights are 
     respected;
       Whereas Kazakhstan, an open country where citizens of more 
     than 100 ethnic groups enjoy equal rights and opportunities, 
     made a significant contribution to promoting global peace and 
     harmony by hosting in September 2003 the Congress of the 
     World and Traditional Religions, which brought together 
     leaders of world religions seeking to bridge religious 
     differences;
       Whereas the Government of Kazakhstan has toughened 
     legislation and taken other concrete steps to prevent human 
     trafficking and end this cruel form of human mistreatment;
       Whereas Kazakhstan is confidently moving toward integration 
     with the world economic system by establishing the conditions 
     for developing a true market economy;
       Whereas the United States Government, recognizing the 
     economic progress of Kazakhstan, granted to Kazakhstan 
     ``market economy status'', the first such designation of any 
     country in the Commonwealth of Independent States;
       Whereas United States businesses actively participate in 
     the development of one of the world's largest energy 
     resources in Kazakhstan and consider the country to be an 
     alternative and reliable source of energy;
       Whereas the application to Kazakhstan of chapter 1 of title 
     IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (commonly referred to as the 
     ``Jackson-Vanik amendment'') prevents Kazakhstan from 
     achieving permanent normal trade relations status with the 
     United States;
       Whereas an independent and democratic Kazakhstan is the 
     cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the 
     vitally important region of Central Asia;
       Whereas Kazakhstan voluntarily disarmed its nuclear 
     arsenal, the world's fourth largest, and joined the Treaty on 
     Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, with 
     Annexes, Protocols, and Memorandum of Understanding, signed 
     at Moscow on July 31, 1991 (START Treaty), and in so doing 
     provided an example of a responsible national approach to 
     nonproliferation;
       Whereas the people of Kazakhstan, under the leadership of 
     Nursultan Nazarbayev, are providing unconditional and firm 
     support in the ongoing allied campaign in Afghanistan by 
     allowing coalition forces to use the air space of Kazakhstan 
     and the largest airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan;
       Whereas Kazakhstan is taking an active part in 
     rehabilitating Iraq and is the only country in the region of 
     Central Asia to send a military contingent of combat 
     engineers who in a few months have neutralized more than 
     300,000 explosive devices in Iraq, thereby saving thousands 
     of lives;
       Whereas, within the framework of growing military 
     cooperation, the United States and Kazakhstan signed an 
     Article 98 Agreement relating to the International Criminal 
     Court;
       Whereas the increasing significance of Kazakhstan to United 
     States foreign policy has resulted in the creation of the 
     United States-Kazakhstan Interparliamentary Friendship Group, 
     which is designed to strengthen relations of strategic 
     partnership between the two countries; and
       Whereas Kazakhstan is an important friend and strategic 
     ally of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) congratulates the people and Government of the Republic 
     of Kazakhstan on the 12th anniversary of the independence of 
     Kazakhstan and the establishment of diplomatic relations with 
     the United States;
       (2) welcomes and supports political and economic 
     transformations achieved by Kazakhstan during its years of 
     independence;
       (3) expresses gratitude for the leadership of Kazakhstan in 
     establishing interreligious dialogue to promote peace and 
     harmony in the world;
       (4) commends Kazakhstan on toughening measures to stop 
     human trafficking;
       (5) recognizes the need to terminate application to 
     Kazakhstan of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (commonly 
     known as the ``Jackson-Vanik Amendment'') and extend normal 
     trade relations status to Kazakhstan;
       (6) expresses gratitude for the support and assistance of 
     the people of Kazakhstan in the antiterrorist campaign of the 
     United States and coalition countries and for their support 
     for the reconstruction of Iraq;
       (7) applauds the wise decision of the leadership of 
     Kazakhstan to renounce the deployment of the nuclear weapons 
     inherited by the country and make the world a safer place;
       (8) calls upon the President to actively popularize the 
     example set by Kazakhstan in renouncing the deployment of its 
     nuclear weapons with respect to United States negotiations 
     with countries that are trying to acquire, develop, or deploy 
     nuclear weapons; and
       (9) urges further strengthening of strategically important 
     relations between Kazakhstan and the United States on all 
     other issues of importance between the two countries.

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