[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24033-24034]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROSE REVOLUTION

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 472, which was 
submitted earlier today by Senator McCain.

[[Page 24034]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 472) to honor the people of Georgia 
     on the first anniversary of the Rose Revolution.

  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 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. 472) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 472

       Whereas, on November 23, 2004, the people of Georgia will 
     celebrate the first anniversary of the Rose Revolution, the 
     peaceful and bloodless protests that followed parliamentary 
     elections deemed to be fraudulent;
       Whereas following the resignation of President Eduard 
     Shevardnadze, Interim President Nino Burdzhanadze worked 
     diligently to restore order and to prepare Georgia for a new 
     Presidential election;
       Whereas after a free, fair, and democratic election was 
     held, Mikheil Saakashvili was sworn into office on January 
     25, 2004, as President of Georgia;
       Whereas President Saakashvili visited the United States 
     Congress earlier this year and delivered a strong message of 
     peace, stability, democracy, political reform, and economic 
     opportunity;
       Whereas Georgia is a small but strategically situated 
     country located in the Caucasus, and is of additional 
     interest to the United States because of the oil and gas 
     pipelines now being constructed from Baku, Azerbaijan to the 
     port of Ceyhan, Turkey;
       Whereas Georgia has also become a key player in the global 
     war on terrorism by combating members of al Qaeda and other 
     Muslim terrorist organizations, denying them sanctuary in 
     remote areas such as the Pankisi Gorge, and working with the 
     United States to help train border guards;
       Whereas Georgia has recently increased its commitment of 
     troops in Iraq and its contributions to help build peace and 
     democracy in Afghanistan and Kosovo;
       Whereas the United States supports Georgia's efforts to 
     peacefully reestablish government control, security, and 
     political stability in regions such as Abkhazia and South 
     Ossetia;
       Whereas the United States congratulates the Government of 
     Georgia on the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Adjara 
     and welcomes the restoration of democracy and political 
     stability in that region; and
       Whereas the United States supports representative 
     democracy, political stability, economic growth, and peace in 
     Georgia and throughout the Caucasus region: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, that the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the people of Georgia on the first 
     anniversary of the Rose Revolution, the peaceful and 
     bloodless protests that followed parliamentary elections 
     deemed to be fraudulent, and for their commitment to 
     democracy, peace, stability, and economic opportunity;
       (2) commends President Mikheil Saakashvili for his vision 
     of, and commitment to, a peaceful and democratic Georgia, the 
     rule of law, an open market economy, regional cooperation, 
     and closer integration into western institutions;
       (3) supports the sovereignty, independence, territorial 
     integrity, and democratic government of Georgia; and
       (4) supports continued assistance to the people and 
     Government of Georgia to help them consolidate the democratic 
     process in their country.

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