[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5747]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION EXPRESSING STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE 
 COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2017

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of a bipartisan resolution 
I introduced earlier today with my colleague John Shimkus expressing 
strong support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This 
resolution reaffirms the importance of harmony and stability rather 
than war and conflict and acknowledges the NATO's pivotal role in 
achieving such goals.
  NATO remains the most important and critical security link between 
the United States and Europe.
  The incorporation of Eastern European countries into NATO has 
contributed towards a vision of a stable and united Europe. NATO allies 
and partners in both Central and Eastern Europe have stood alongside 
the United States in joint peace operations in the Western Balkans, 
Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.
  Our resolution emphasizes the United States' strong commitment to the 
independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic 
development of the countries that have emerged from the former Soviet 
Union, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, and 
Moldova. During the past three decades, many of these countries have 
undertaken considerable political and economic reforms necessary to 
achieve aspirations for European integration and Euro-Atlantic 
cooperation.
  I want to thank Congressman Shimkus for his partnership on this 
resolution and urge my colleagues to pass it swiftly to reaffirm the 
United States' commitment to our NATO allies.

                          ____________________