III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 20 

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 26, 2009 

Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself and Mr. CASEY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization. 

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

will celebrate its 60th anniversary at a summit to be held 

on April 4, 2009, in Kehl, Germany, and Strasbourg, 

France; 

Whereas this summit will be held along the border of France 

and Germany to commemorate the historic post-war reconciliation in Europe that NATO has done so much to 

facilitate; 

Whereas for 60 years, NATO has served as the preeminent 

organization to defend the territory of its member states 

against all external security threats; 

Whereas the security of the United States is inseparably 

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•SRES 20 IS 

tinent by the participation of the United States in 

NATO; 

Whereas the security of the United States has been significantly enhanced by the integration of security and military structures in the United States and Europe achieved 

by NATO; 

Whereas NATO continues to promote a Europe that is whole, 

undivided, free, and at peace; 

Whereas NATO continues to support an open-door policy of 

admitting states that can contribute to the promotion 

and protection of freedom, democracy, stability, and 

peace throughout Europe; 

Whereas, since the end of the Cold War, NATO has continued to redefine and transform itself and to take on new 

missions, in order to ensure that each NATO member 

state can defend itself against emerging threats such as 

terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, instability caused by failed states, cyber attacks, piracy, 

and threats to global energy security; 

Whereas NATO continues to help stabilize the Balkans 

through the deployment of troops to Kosovo; 

Whereas NATO has deployed naval assets to the Gulf of 

Aden to address the growing threat of piracy in the region and to help protect the delivery of United Nations 

food assistance to Somalia; 

Whereas after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United 

States, article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at 

Washington April 4, 1949 (TIAS 1964), was invoked for 

the first time in the history of the organization, and 

NATO deployed 50,000 troops from all 26 NATO member states to Afghanistan to respond to a dangerous inVerDate Nov 24 2008 00:01 Jan 27, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR20.IS SR20

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•SRES 20 IS 

surgency and terrorist threat and to help re-build a shattered country; 

Whereas the challenges that continue to be posed by the resurgence of the Taliban and the illicit drug trade in Afghanistan highlight the need for a sustained and 

strengthened NATO presence in Afghanistan; 

Whereas NATO continues to enhance the security of Europe 

and the world by strengthening partnerships with countries around the world; and 

Whereas Congress continues to support NATO, the leadership role of the United States Government in European 

security affairs, and the continued enlargement of 

NATO: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 

3 North Atlantic Treaty Organization; 

4 (2) reaffirms that the North Atlantic Treaty 

5 Organization is strong, enduring, and oriented for 

6 the challenges of the future; and 

7 (3) expresses appreciation for— 

8 (A) the steadfast partnership between the 

9 North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the 

10 United States Government; and 

11 (B) the work of the North Atlantic Treaty 

12 Organization to ensure peace, security, and sta13 bility in Europe and throughout the world. 

Æ 


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