IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 53

Encouraging and expediting the integration of Romania at the earliest stage

into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 20, 1997

Mr. SOLOMON submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Encouraging and expediting the integration of Romania at

the earliest stage into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Whereas Romania has already undertaken tremendous steps

toward further consolidating the basis for a democratic

and free market society;

Whereas Romania has shown itself, through the normal

transfer of power after the conclusion of the November

1996 elections, to be an increasingly mature and functioning democracy;

Whereas the Romanian Government has made excellent

progress toward respecting human rights and civil liberties and has made great strides toward establishing the

rule of law;
2

•HCON 53 IH

Whereas the new Romanian Government has demonstrated

its firm commitment to push for substantial economic

reforms, including further mass privatization, tax relief,

increased protection of property rights and foreign investment, and trade liberalization;

Whereas the Romanian Government has exhibited good

neighborliness in its foreign affairs by the very significant

signing of the basic political bilateral Treaty with Hungary and by its efforts to conclude in the nearest future

negotiations with Ukraine on a similar treaty;

Whereas Romania was the first emerging democracy in

Central and Eastern Europe to join the Partnership for

Peace, and by its active participation alongside North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Bosnia has

clearly demonstrated its ability and willingness to operate

with the NATO Alliance under its standards;

Whereas Romania’s size, geo-strategic location, economic and

military potential, and huge popular support for NATO

integration render it of immense and key strategic importance to European stability;

Whereas NATO, a voluntary, defensive alliance, has been a

force for stability, freedom, and peace in Europe since

1949;

Whereas, at the July NATO Summit in Madrid, the NATO

alliance will extend invitations to start negotiations for

accession with some Central European candidates that

have participated in the intensified dialogue with NATO;

and

Whereas Romania has voluntarily applied for NATO membership and determinedly striven to meet NATO eligibility

requirements: Now, therefore, be it
3

•HCON 53 IH

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) Romania is to be commended for its

4 progress toward political and economic liberty and

5 meeting the guidelines for prospective North Atlan6 tic Treaty Organization (NATO) members set out in

7 chapter 5 of the September 1995 Study on NATO

8 Enlargement;

9 (2) Romania would make an outstanding con10 tribution toward furthering the goals of NATO upon

11 becoming a full member;

12 (3) extension of full NATO membership (with

13 that status being unvitiated by any potential NATO

14 agreement with any other entity) to Romania would

15 make an exceptional contribution toward stability,

16 freedom, and peace in Europe; and

17 (4) Romania should be invited to become a full

18 member of the NATO Alliance at the earliest stage.

Æ