IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 99 

Expressing the sense of Congress on the occasion of the 100th anniversary 

of the proclamation of independence of Czechoslovakia, the 25th anniversary of the independence of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, 

and reaffirming the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the 

United States and the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 19, 2018 

Mr. BLUM (for himself, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BARTON, and 

Mrs. DINGELL) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress on the occasion of the 

100th anniversary of the proclamation of independence 

of Czechoslovakia, the 25th anniversary of the independence of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, 

and reaffirming the bonds of friendship and cooperation 

between the United States and the Czech Republic and 

the Slovak Republic. 

Whereas President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, outlined on January 8, 1918, were the basis for the formation of the Czechoslovak state in 1918; 

Whereas, on May 31, 1918, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 

representatives of Slovak and Czech organizations and 


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expatriate communities in the United States signed the 

Pittsburgh Agreement, based on the Cleveland Agreement 

signed on October 22, 1915, calling for an independent 

state of Czechoslovakia in their European homeland; 

Whereas the Czechoslovak Legions formed during World War 

I in Russia, France, and Italy and supportive of the effort to create an independent state of Czechs and Slovaks 

were recognized as Allied forces by the United States and 

supported by the Government of the United States in 

their evacuation from Siberia in July 2018; 

Whereas, on September 3, 1918, the United States Government recognized the Czecho-Slovak National Council as 

the official Government of Czechoslovakia; 

Whereas the Declaration of Independence of the Czechoslovak 

Nation by its Provisional Government was drafted by 

Toma ́ˇs G. Masaryk, the Prime Minister of the Czechoslovak Provisional Government who later became the first 

President of Czechoslovakia, while residing in the United 

States, signed by the leaders of the Czechoslovak Provisional Government Toma ́ˇs G. Masaryk, Milan R. 

Sˇtefa ́nik, and Edvard Benesˇ, and submitted to the Department of State on October 18, 1918; 

Whereas the peoples of the present day Czech Republic and 

the present day Slovak Republic proclaimed their independence in the common state of the Republic of Czechoslovakia on October 28 and October 30, 1918; 

Whereas, on November 12, 1918, diplomatic relations between the United States and Czechoslovakia were formally established; 

Whereas the Munich Agreement signed on September 30, 

1938, permitted Nazi Germany’s annexation of portions 


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of Czechoslovakia, however failed to prevent World War 

II and therefore fully discredited the policy of appeasement of tyrants and dictators; 

Whereas between 1938 and 1945, Nazi Germany annexed 

part of Bohemia, set up a fascist ‘‘protectorate’’ in the 

rest of Bohemia and in Moravia, and installed a puppet 

fascist government in Slovakia; 

Whereas during World War II, the Slovak and Czech resistance movements against Nazi occupation and fascism, 

with the support of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, 

launched the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944 

and the Prague uprising in May 1945, and in their determination to stand united against hatred and oppression 

these movements contributed to the defeat of Nazism and 

fascism; 

Whereas the Communists seized power from the democratically elected government of Czechoslovakia in February 

1948; 

Whereas troops from Warsaw Pact countries invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968, ousted the reformist leadership 

of Alexander Dubcˇek, and restored a hard-line communist 

regime; 

Whereas in November 1989 the peoples of Czechoslovakia in 

a nonviolent Velvet Revolution overthrew 40 years of totalitarian communist rule in order to rebuild a democratic society, and since then have established vibrant, 

pluralistic, democratic political systems based upon freedom of speech, a free press, free and fair open elections, 

the rule of law, and other democratic principles and practices, values embodied for many in the personality of the 

first post-communist president Va ́clav Havel; 


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Whereas the Slovak National Council passed the Constitution 

of the Slovak Republic on September 1, 1992, and the 

Czech National Council passed the Constitution of the 

Czech Republic on December 16, 1992; 

Whereas the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic came 

into existence on January 1, 1993, after a peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia; 

Whereas the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic joined the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 12, 1999, 

and March 29, 2004, respectively, becoming responsible 

and reliable allies to the United States and other NATO 

members; 

Whereas committed to the idea of peaceful and prosperous 

Europe the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic became members of the European Union on May 1, 2004; 

Whereas the people of the United States, the Czech Republic, 

and the Slovak Republic have maintained a special relationship based on shared democratic values, common interests, and the strong bonds of friendship, mutual respect, and close cooperation; and 

Whereas the people of the United States have an affinity with 

the people of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic 

and regard them as trusted and important partners and 

allies: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of procla4 mation of independence of Czechoslovakia, as well as 

5 the 25th anniversary of the independence of the 

6 Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic; 


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1 (2) commemorates with the Czech Republic and 

2 the Slovak Republic these anniversaries, under3 scoring the significance and value of independence 

4 and sovereignty based on democratic principles, val5 ues and practices, most of all freedom and dignity 

6 of individual citizens; 

7 (3) commends the peoples of the Czech Repub8 lic and the Slovak Republic for their remarkable 

9 achievements over the past 25 years in building free, 

10 democratic, and prosperous societies; 

11 (4) recognizes the importance of the alliance be12 tween the United States and the Czech Republic and 

13 Slovak Republic in common defense, enduring com14 mitment to the free and unified Europe, and ex15 panding and deepening economic prosperity of our 

16 nations under the rule of law; 

17 (5) appreciates the contribution of the Czech 

18 Republic and the Slovak Republic as members of the 

19 North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Euro20 pean Union to the promotion and defense of com21 mon values of freedom, democracy, and liberty 

22 around the world and for their support in the fight 

23 against violent extremism; 

24 (6) reaffirms the bonds of friendship and close 

25 cooperation that have existed between the United 


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1 States and the Czech Republic and the Slovak Re2 public; and 

3 (7) extends the warmest congratulations and 

4 best wishes to the people of the Czech Republic and 

5 the people of the Slovak Republic for a peaceful, 

6 prosperous, and successful future. 

Æ 


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