IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1405 

Congratulating the Republic of Latvia on the 90th anniversary of its 

declaration of independence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2008 

Mr. SHIMKUS (for himself, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. GALLEGLY, and Mr. WEXLER) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the Republic of Latvia on the 90th 

anniversary of its declaration of independence. 

Whereas on November 18, 1918, in the City of Riga, the 

members of the People’s Council proclaimed Latvia a 

free, democratic, and sovereign nation; 

Whereas on July 24, 1922, the United States formally recognized Latvia as an independent and sovereign nation; 

Whereas Latvia existed for 21 years as an independent and 

sovereign nation and a fully recognized member of the 

League of Nations; 

Whereas Latvia maintained friendly and stable relations with 

its neighbors, including the Soviet Union, during its independence, without any border disputes; 


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•HRES 1405 IH 

Whereas Latvia concluded several peace treaties and protocols with the Soviet Union, including a peace treaty 

signed on August 11, 1920, under which the ‘‘Soviet 

Union unreservedly recognize[d] the independence and 

sovereignty of the Latvian State and forever renounce[d] 

all sovereign rights . . . over the Latvian people and territory’’; 

Whereas despite friendly and mutually productive relations 

between Latvia and the Soviet Union, on August 23, 

1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the 

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which contained a secret protocol assigning Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania to the Soviet sphere of influence; 

Whereas under the cover of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, on 

June 17, 1940, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania were forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in violation of 

preexisting peace treaties; 

Whereas the Soviet Union imposed upon the people of Latvia, 

Estonia, and Lithuania a communist political system that 

stifled civil dissent, free political expression, and basic 

human rights; 

Whereas the United States never recognized this illegal and 

forcible occupation, and successive American presidents 

maintained continuous diplomatic relations with these 

countries throughout the Soviet occupation, never accepting them to be ‘‘Soviet Republics’’; 

Whereas during the 50 years of Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, Congress strongly, consistently, and on a bipartisan basis supported a policy of legal nonrecognition; 

Whereas in 1953, the congressionally established Kersten 

Commission investigated the incorporation of Latvia, EsVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:40 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1405.IH HR1405

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•HRES 1405 IH 

tonia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union and determined that the Soviet Union had illegally and forcibly occupied and annexed the Baltic countries; 

Whereas in 1982, and for the next 9 years until the Baltic 

countries regained their independence, Congress annually 

adopted a Baltic Freedom Day resolution denouncing the 

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and appealing for the freedom 

of the Baltic countries; 

Whereas in 1991, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania regained 

their de facto independence and were quickly recognized 

by the United States and by almost every other country 

in the world, including the Soviet Union; 

Whereas in 1998, the United States and the 3 Baltic nations 

signed the United States-Baltic Charter of Partnership, 

an expression of the importance of the Baltic Sea region 

to United States interests; 

Whereas the 109th Congress resolved in S. Con. Res. 35 and 

H. Res. 28 that ‘‘it is the sense of Congress that the 

Government of the Russian Federation should issue a 

clear and unambiguous statement of admission and condemnation of the illegal occupation and annexation by the 

Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991 of the Baltic countries 

of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the consequences of 

which will be a significant increase in good will among 

the affected people’’; 

Whereas Latvia has successfully developed as a free and 

democratic country, ensured the rule of law, and developed a free market economy; 

Whereas the Government of Latvia has constantly pursued a 

course of integration into the community of free and 

democratic nations, becoming a full and responsible memVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:40 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1405.IH HR1405

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•HRES 1405 IH 

ber of the United Nations, the Organization for Security 

and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; 

Whereas the people of Latvia cherish the principles of political freedom, human rights, and independence; and 

Whereas Latvia is a strong and loyal ally of the United 

States, and the people of Latvia share common values 

with the people of the United States: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates the people of Latvia on the 

3 occasion of the 90th anniversary of that country’s 

4 November 18, 1918, declaration of independence; 

5 (2) commends the Government of Latvia for its 

6 success in implementing political and economic re7 forms, for establishing political, religious, and eco8 nomic freedom, and for its strong commitment to 

9 human and civil rights; and 

10 (3) recognizes the common goals and shared 

11 values of the people of Latvia, Estonia, and Lith12 uania, the close and friendly relations and ties of the 

13 3 Baltic countries with one another, and their tragic 

14 history in the last century under the Nazi and Soviet 

15 occupations. 

Æ 


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