106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 165

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing United States policy toward the Slovak

Republic.
106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 165

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring),

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) Elections held in May 1999 brought the

2 first ever popularly elected President of the Slovak

3 Republic to office and demonstrated the commitment

4 of the Slovak people to full economic reforms, demo5 cratic government, and western ideals.

6 (2) The parliamentary elections held in Sep7 tember 1998 brought to office a coalition govern8 ment in the Slovak Republic which has shown its

9 commitment to economic reforms through economic

10 austerity measures approved in May 1999, increased

11 foreign investments through privatization of markets

12 that were formerly state controlled, and discipline in

13 government and currency policies.

14 (3) The Government of the Slovak Republic

15 formed after the elections of September 1998 has re16 newed efforts to ensure the proper treatment of its

17 citizens, regardless of ethnic background, including

18 those of ethnic Hungarian background through the

19 placement of three ethnic Hungarians in the cabinet

20 of the Government (including the Deputy Premier

21 for Human and Minority Rights), and through the

22 passage of the Minority Language Use Act on July

23 10, 1999, in accordance with European Union guide24 lines, which will take effect on September 1, 1999,

25 to protect the rights of all citizens.
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1 (4) The Government of the Slovak Republic has

2 made Slovakia’s integration into pan-European and

3 trans-Atlantic institutions, including the European

4 Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

5 (NATO), the highest foreign policy priority, and

6 through active participation with the Visegrad Four,

7 the Slovak Republic has undertaken efforts to pro8 mote stability in the region.

9 (5) The Government of the Slovak Republic has

10 stated its continuing support for the mission of

11 NATO in supporting democratization and stability

12 across Europe, and the Government demonstrated

13 its commitment to these principles by fully cooper14 ating with NATO during the recent conflict in

15 Kosovo, allowing NATO full access to Slovak air16 space, highways, and railways.

17 (6) The Slovak Republic subsequently provided

18 military engineers to assist the peacekeeping force of

19 NATO in Kosovo (KFOR), approved a $2,000,000

20 humanitarian aid package for Kosovo, and housed

21 over 100 refugees from the conflict.

22 (7) The Government of the Slovak Republic has

23 continually worked to retain civilian control of its

24 military through participation with NATO forces
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1 and has been an active participant in the Partner2 ship-for-Peace program.

3 (8) The Slovak Republic has provided military

4 personnel for participation in and support of multi5 national peacekeeping operations such as the United

6 Nations operations in Rwanda and Liberia.

7 SEC. 2. POLICY TOWARD THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC.

8 It is the policy of the United States—

9 (1) to promote the development in the Slovak

10 Republic of a market-based economy and a demo11 cratic government that respects the rights of all of

12 its citizens, regardless of ethnic background; and

13 (2) to support the eventual integration of the

14 Slovak Republic into pan-European and trans-Atlan15 tic economic and security institutions.

16 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

17 It is the sense of the Congress that—

18 (1) the Government of the Slovak Republic

19 formed after the elections of September 1998 is to

20 be commended—

21 (A) for its efforts to address the issue of

22 proper treatment of its citizens, regardless of

23 ethnic background, particularly those of ethnic

24 Hungarian background;
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1 (B) for its efforts to improve the economic

2 situation in the Slovak Republic and for its ef3 forts to accelerate the privatization of state4 owned enterprises in a fair and transparent

5 process; and

6 (C) for its support for the North Atlantic

7 Treaty Organization (NATO) in the recent con8 flict in Kosovo;

9 (2) the Government of the Slovak Republic

10 should continue to implement programs that may

11 qualify the Slovak Republic for entrance into the

12 European Union and NATO and is to be com13 mended for its continued support of the NATO ef14 fort to ensure stability and democratization across

15 Europe; and

16 (3) the United States should support efforts for

17 the eventual integration of the Slovak Republic into

18 pan-European and trans-Atlantic institutions and

19 should view such integration as an important factor
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1 in consolidating democratic government and eco2 nomic stability in the Slovak Republic.

Passed the House of Representatives November 16,

1999.

Attest:

Clerk.