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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 500 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 500

 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to enhanced relations 
with the Republic of Moldova and support for the Republic of Moldova's 
                         territorial integrity.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 10, 2014

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Menendez, Mr. McCain, Mr. 
Murphy, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                             July 16, 2014

              Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

                             July 23, 2014

                        Considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to enhanced relations 
with the Republic of Moldova and support for the Republic of Moldova's 
                         territorial integrity.

Whereas the United States has enjoyed warm relations with the Republic of 
        Moldova since the Republic of Moldova's independence in 1991;
Whereas, since the Republic of Moldova's independence, the United States has 
        provided financial assistance to support the efforts of the people of 
        the Republic of Moldova to build a prosperous European democracy;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Moldova further strengthened their 
        partnership through the launching of a Strategic Dialogue on March 3, 
        2014;
Whereas the Republic of Moldova signed an Association Agreement containing 
        comprehensive free trade provisions with the European Union on June 27, 
        2014, and ratified the agreement on July 2, 2014;
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Moldova made extraordinary efforts to 
        comply with the criteria for an Association Agreement with the European 
        Union, including significant legislative reforms to improve the rule of 
        law and curtail corruption;
Whereas new parliamentary elections are expected to be held in the Republic of 
        Moldova in November 2014;
Whereas the United States Government supports the democratic aspirations of the 
        people of the Republic of Moldova and their expressed desire to deepen 
        their association with the European Union;
Whereas the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of 
        the Republic of Moldova and, on that basis, participates as an observer 
        in the ``5+2'' negotiations to find a comprehensive settlement that will 
        provide a special status for the separatist region of Transnistria 
        within the Republic of Moldova;
Whereas, in September 2013, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin said 
        that Moldova ``would lose Transnistria if Moldova continues moving 
        toward the European Union'' and that ``Moldova's train en route to 
        Europe would lose its wagons in Transnistria'';
Whereas in 2013, the Government of the Russian Federation banned the import of 
        Moldovan wine and certain agricultural products in anticipation of the 
        Republic of Moldova initialing the Association Agreement with the 
        European Union;
Whereas, in response to the Republic of Moldova signing and ratifying the 
        Association Agreement with the European Union, the Government of the 
        Russian Federation has banned additional agricultural products and 
        threatened to curtail the supply of energy resources to the Republic of 
        Moldova, expel Moldova from the Commonwealth of Independent States free 
        trade zone, and impose stricter labor migration policies on the people 
        of the Republic of Moldova;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation maintains a contingent of 
        Russian troops and a stockpile of Russian military equipment and 
        ammunition within the Moldovan region of Transnistria;
Whereas the Government of Russia has been actively issuing Russian passports to 
        the residents of the Transnistria region in the Republic of Moldova;
Whereas the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe (OSCE), and the Government of the Republic of Moldova have called 
        upon the Government of the Russian Federation to remove its troops from 
        the territory of the Republic of Moldova;
Whereas authorities in the Republic of Moldova's Transnistria region have 
        restricted the access of OSCE Mission to Moldova monitors to the 
        Transnistria region, thereby preventing the Mission from providing 
        impartial reporting on the security situation in the region;
Whereas the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed, by an 
        overwhelming majority, and the President signed into law the Act 
        relating to ``United States International Programming to Ukraine and 
        Neighboring Regions'', approved April 3, 2014 (Public Law 113-96; 22 
        U.S.C. 6211 note), providing for a United States international broadcast 
        programming surge to counter misinformation from Russian-supported news 
        outlets and ensuring that Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine and 
        Moldova have access to independent news and information; and
Whereas Moldova has been a valued and reliable partner in promoting global 
        security by participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions in 
        Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan, Georgia, and Kosovo: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States 
        Government to support the sovereignty, independence, and 
        territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and the 
        inviolability of its borders;
            (2) supports the Strategic Dialogue as a means to 
        strengthen relations between the Republic of Moldova and the 
        United States and to enhance the democratic, economic, and 
        security reforms already being implemented by the Republic of 
        Moldova;
            (3) urges the President to consider increasing security and 
        intelligence cooperation with the Government of Moldova;
            (4) encourages the President and the Secretary of State to 
        enhance United States cooperation with the Government of the 
        Republic of Moldova and civil society organizations and to 
        focus assistance on rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, 
        energy security, and improving trade relations and investment 
        opportunities;
            (5) supports increased educational exchanges between the 
        United States and the Republic of Moldova;
            (6) encourages the President to expedite the implementation 
        of the Act relating to ``United States International 
        Programming to Ukraine and Neighboring Regions'', approved 
        April 3, 2014 (Public Law 113-96; 22 U.S.C. 6211 note), 
        especially because it relates to populations in Ukraine and the 
        Republic of Moldova;
            (7) affirms the Republic of Moldova's sovereign right to 
        determine its own partnerships free of external coercion and 
        pressure, and affirms the Republic of Moldova's right to 
        associate with the European Union and any other regional 
        organization;
            (8) urges the European Union to continue to work for 
        greater political, economic, and social integration with the 
        Republic of Moldova;
            (9) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        refrain from using economic coercion against the Republic of 
        Moldova, cease support for separatist movements in the 
        territory of the Republic of Moldova, and fulfill its 
        commitments made at the Organization for Security and 
        Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 1999 summit in Istanbul to 
        withdraw its military forces and munitions from within the 
        internationally recognized territory of the Republic of 
        Moldova;
            (10) supports constructive engagement and confidence-
        building measures between the Government of the Republic of 
        Moldova and the authorities in the Transnistria region in order 
        to secure a peaceful, comprehensive resolution to the conflict 
        that respects the Republic of Moldova's sovereignty and 
        territorial integrity;
            (11) urges officials in the Transnistrian region to allow 
        OSCE Mission to Moldova monitors unrestricted access to that 
        region;
            (12) discourages any unilateral actions that may undermine 
        efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, as well as the 
        agreements already reached, and encourages leaders of the 
        Transnistrian region to resume negotiations toward a political 
        settlement; and
            (13) affirms that lasting stability and security in Europe 
        is a key priority for the United States Government which can 
        only be achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty 
        of all European countries is respected.
                                 <all>
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