IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 117

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 26, 2000

Referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Commending the Republic of Slovenia for its partnership

with the United States and NATO, and expressing the

sense of Congress that Slovenia’s accession to NATO

would enhance NATO’s security, and for other purposes.

Whereas on June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia declared

its independence;

Whereas on December 23, 1991, the Parliament of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the State’s new constitution

based on the values of human rights, market economy,

rule of law, and democracy;

Whereas on April 7, 1992, the United States formally recognized the Republic of Slovenia;

Whereas, since its independence, Slovenia has demonstrated

an excellent record on human rights;

Whereas Slovenia has developed a successful and growing

market economy and enjoys the highest per capita gross

domestic product in Central and Eastern Europe;
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Whereas the European Union has recognized Slovenia’s economic prosperity and the strength of its democracy by

initiating accession negotiations with Slovenia as well as

by putting into effect Slovenia’s Association Agreement

with the European Union;

Whereas Slovenia has demonstrated its commitment to bring

peace, security, stability, democracy, and economic prosperity to Southeastern Europe through its membership in

NATO’s Partnership for Peace, the Central European

Initiative, the Central European Free Trade Association

(CEFTA), and the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe;

Whereas Slovenia has been an active contributor to peace

support operations around the world, including the

NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

NATO’s Kosovo Force, and United Nations peacekeeping

operations in Cyprus and Lebanon;

Whereas Slovenia made invaluable contributions to NATO’s

Operation ALLIED FORCE by providing NATO access

and use of its airspace and ground transportation systems and by assisting the NATO efforts to provide Albania humanitarian relief during the air campaign against

Yugoslavia;

Whereas Slovenia has contributed financial and humanitarian

aid to the assistance effort in Kosovo, including refuge

for more than 3500 people who had fled the region as a

consequence of the violence that occurred in Kosovo;

Whereas Slovenia promotes regional cooperation through its

contributions to the Trilateral Multinational Land Force,

a multinational brigade established with Italy and Hungary;
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Whereas Slovenia, a leader in the effort to remove land mines

from the war-torn regions of the former Republic of

Yugoslavia, established the highly effective International

Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance;

and

Whereas the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996,

passed by the Senate on July 25, 1996, identified Slovenia, along with Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, as being among the NATO applicant states most

prepared for the burdens and responsibilities of NATO

membership; Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That (a) it is the policy of the United States

3 to—

4 (1) support the integration of the Republic of

5 Slovenia into transatlantic and European political,

6 economic, and security institutions, including the

7 North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Euro8 pean Union; and

9 (2) continue and further reinforce the partner10 ship between the United States and Slovenia, par11 ticularly their joint efforts to bring lasting peace and

12 stability to all of Europe.

13 (b) It is the sense of Congress that—

14 (1) the Republic of Slovenia is to be com15 mended for—

16 (A) its commitment to democratic prin17 ciples, human rights, and rule of law;
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1 (B) its transition from a communist, cen2 trally planned economic system to a thriving

3 free market economy; and

4 (C) its partnership with the United States

5 and NATO during the recent conflicts that have

6 undermined peace and stability in Southeastern

7 Europe; and

8 (2) the accession of the Republic of Slovenia to

9 full membership in transatlantic and European insti10 tutions would be an important step toward a Europe

11 that is undivided, whole and free.

Passed the Senate June 23, 2000.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.