III 

Calendar No. 608 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 322 

Reaffirming the alliance between the United States and Bulgaria, congratulating Bulgaria on its July 11, 2021 parliamentary elections, and calling 

for continued progress in Bulgaria towards combating corruption, respecting the freedom of the press, and protecting minority rights. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 27, 2021 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. WICKER, and Mr. TILLIS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the alliance between the United States and Bulgaria, congratulating Bulgaria on its July 11, 2021 parliamentary elections, and calling for continued progress 

in Bulgaria towards combating corruption, respecting the 

freedom of the press, and protecting minority rights. 

Whereas Bulgaria, which is an original signatory of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, done at 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•SRES 322 RS 

Helsinki August 1, 1975 (commonly known as the ‘‘Helsinki Final Act’’)— 

(1) has transitioned from a Cold War-era, Soviet 

satellite to a multi-party democracy with a market economy; and 

(2) remains an active and constructive participant in 

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE); 

Whereas because of its progress on the institutionalization of 

democratic systems and economic reforms, Bulgaria 

joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

in 2004 and the European Union in 2007; 

Whereas Bulgaria is a steadfast ally of the United States in 

an area of strategic importance to the United States; 

Whereas bilateral security cooperation between the United 

States and Bulgaria is deep and growing stronger, including through the October 2020 signing of a 10-year 

defense cooperation roadmap, and regular United States 

military training conducted in Bulgaria, including at the 

Novo Selo Training Area; 

Whereas Bulgaria has contributed approximately 21,000 

troops to various NATO missions; 

Whereas Bulgaria is on track to consistently reach defense 

spending of at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product by 2024; 

Whereas the international observers representing the OSCE 

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, 

the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe concluded that 

Bulgaria’s July 11, 2021, parliamentary elections were 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•SRES 322 RS 

‘‘competitive with fundamental freedoms generally respected’’; 

Whereas, on July 8 and 9, 2021, Bulgaria hosted the annual 

summit meeting of the Three Seas Initiative, a unique region-led undertaking launched in 2015 to create a political platform and investment fund to promote transportation, energy, and digital infrastructure connectivity 

across its 12 member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, 

Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, 

Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia); 

Whereas Bulgaria’s continued progress has been threatened 

by multiple internal challenges, including corruption, and 

Bulgaria is consistently among the lowest-ranked European Union member states in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index; 

Whereas Bulgaria was ranked 112th out of 180 countries in 

the Reporters Without Borders 2021 World Press Freedom Index, which is the lowest position of any European 

Union country; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2021, a Reporters Without Borders 

expert stated, ‘‘Press freedom has reached an impasse in 

Bulgaria and independent media are on the brink of disappearing’’, citing political interference with public 

broadcasters, and the abuse of privately owned media for 

political purposes, among other concerns; 

Whereas Bulgaria is an attractive, low-cost investment destination with a talented, tech-savvy labor pool, but has 

problems with endemic corruption, including in large infrastructure projects and in the energy sector; 

Whereas, on June 2, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s 

Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•SRES 322 RS 

under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114– 

328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) against 3 Bulgarian individuals and 64 associated entities, while the Department of 

State announced visa bans on 5 former Bulgarian Government officials due to corruption; 

Whereas religious pluralism has long been a positive feature 

of Bulgarian society, though the Muslim community still 

encounters obstacles in its quest to reclaim property and 

build new houses of worship in Sofia; 

Whereas the Romani community faces systemic discrimination in Bulgaria, including discrimination in access to 

education, rights to residency, and access to voting, and 

Romani settlements faced particularly harsh restrictions 

as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas Bulgaria has withheld its support for neighboring 

North Macedonia to open accession talks with the European Union; and 

Whereas America’s most successful and enduring relationships are built on shared values: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas Bulgaria, which is an original signatory of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, done at 

Helsinki August 1, 1975 (commonly known as the ‘‘Helsinki Final Act’’)— 

(1) has transitioned from a Cold War-era, Soviet satellite to a multi-party democracy with a market economy; 

and 

(2) remains an active and constructive participant in 

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE); 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•SRES 322 RS 

Whereas because of its progress on the institutionalization of 

democratic systems and economic reforms, Bulgaria joined 

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004 

and the European Union in 2007; 

Whereas Bulgaria is a steadfast ally of the United States in 

an area of strategic importance to the United States; 

Whereas bilateral security cooperation between the United 

States and Bulgaria is deep and growing stronger, including through the October 2020 signing of a 10-year defense 

cooperation roadmap, and regular United States military 

training conducted in Bulgaria, including at the Novo 

Selo Training Area; 

Whereas Bulgaria has contributed approximately 21,000 troops 

to various NATO missions; 

Whereas Bulgaria is on track to consistently reach defense 

spending of at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product 

by 2024; 

Whereas on March 19, 2022, Bulgaria established a battle 

group consisting of approximately 1,000 troops from Bulgaria and other NATO members, under the command of 

the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, to further 

bolster NATO’s eastern flank; 

Whereas on November 3, 2022, the Parliament of Bulgaria approved the dispatch of military aid to Ukraine, and granted the interim government 1 month to propose which military aid could be sent; 

Whereas on October 27, 2022, Bulgaria approved the purchase 

of a second batch of 8 new F-16 Viper fighter jets from the 

United States, further deepening bilateral defense ties; 

Whereas in April 2022, Russian energy company Gazprom 

halted natural gas exports to Bulgaria, which then repVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:55 Dec 08, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR322.RS SR322

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•SRES 322 RS 

resented more than 90 percent of Bulgaria’s natural gas 

needs, after Bulgaria refused to pay in rubles; 

Whereas the United States and Bulgaria continue to bolster bilateral energy security cooperation, including through the 

signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation on October 

23, 2020; 

Whereas the international observers representing the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the 

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Parliamentary 

Assembly of the Council of Europe concluded that Bulgaria’s October 2, 2022 parliamentary elections were 

‘‘competitive and fundamental freedoms [were] generally 

respected’’; 

Whereas on July 8 and 9, 2021, Bulgaria hosted the annual 

summit meeting of the Three Seas Initiative, a unique region-led undertaking launched in 2015 to create a political 

platform and investment fund to promote transportation, 

energy, and digital infrastructure connectivity across its 

12 member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, 

Slovakia, and Slovenia); 

Whereas Bulgaria’s continued progress has been threatened by 

multiple internal challenges, including corruption, and 

Bulgaria is consistently among the lowest-ranked European Union member states in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index; 

Whereas Bulgaria was ranked 91st out of 180 countries in the 

Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom 

Index, which is one of the lowest positions of any European Union country; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•SRES 322 RS 

Whereas in 2022, Reporters Without Borders referred to media 

freedom in Bulgaria as ‘‘fragile and unstable’’, stated 

‘‘[t]he few independent voices in Bulgaria work under constant pressure’’, and cited political interference with public 

broadcasters, and the abuse of privately-owned media for 

political purposes, among other concerns; 

Whereas Bulgaria is an attractive, low-cost investment destination with a talented, tech-savvy labor pool, but has problems with endemic corruption, including in large infrastructure projects and in the energy sector; 

Whereas on June 2, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s 

Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions 

under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 

Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 

U.S.C. 2656 note) against 3 Bulgarian individuals and 64 

associated entities, while the Department of State announced visa bans on 5 former Bulgarian Government officials due to corruption; 

Whereas religious pluralism has long been a positive feature of 

Bulgarian society, though the Muslim community still encounters obstacles in its quest to reclaim property and 

build new houses of worship in Sofia; 

Whereas the Romani community faces systemic discrimination 

in Bulgaria, including discrimination in access to education, rights to residency, and access to voting, and 

Romani settlements faced particularly harsh restrictions as 

a result of the COVID–19 pandemic; and 

Whereas America’s most successful and enduring relationships 

are built on shared values: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•SRES 322 RS 

1 (1) reaffirms its commitment to the historic 

2 partnership between the United States and Bulgaria 

3 and to advance democracy, prosperity, and security 

4 in Bulgaria; 

5 (2) congratulates the Bulgarian people on the 

6 successful conduct of the July 11 parliamentary 

7 elections; 

8 (3) declares its support for the Three Seas Ini9 tiative; 

10 (4) urges Bulgarian authorities to redouble ef11 forts to address corruption, sustain and protect a 

12 healthy independent media, and protect the rights of 

13 all minority groups in Bulgaria, in line with its com14 mitments to the Organization for Security and Co15 operation in Europe; 

16 (5) encourages Bulgaria to support the aspira17 tions for European Union membership of neigh18 boring North Macedonia; 

19 (6) supports Bulgaria’s efforts to diversify its 

20 energy sources to minimize the malign influence of 

21 dominant suppliers; and 

22 (7) affirms its intent to continue to support 

23 Bulgaria’s efforts in these areas, including through 

24 the application of a wide range of supportive meas25 ures, such as— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•SRES 322 RS 

1 (A) targeted Global Magnitsky Sanctions, 

2 as and when appropriate; and 

3 (B) support for independent journalism, 

4 including through the recently returned Radio 

5 Free Europe Bulgarian Service, which excels in 

6 investigative reporting. 

7 That the Senate— 

8 (1) reaffirms its commitment to the historic 

9 partnership between the United States and Bulgaria 

10 and to advance democracy, prosperity, and security 

11 in Bulgaria; 

12 (2) congratulates the Bulgarian people on the 

13 successful conduct of the October 2 parliamentary 

14 elections; 

15 (3) declares its support for the Three Seas Initia16 tive; 

17 (4) urges Bulgarian authorities to redouble ef18 forts to address corruption, sustain and protect a 

19 healthy independent media, and protect the rights of 

20 all minority groups in Bulgaria, in line with its 

21 commitments to the Organization for Security and 

22 Cooperation in Europe; 

23 (5) encourages Bulgaria to support the aspira24 tions for European Union membership of neighboring 

25 North Macedonia; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•SRES 322 RS 

1 (6) supports Bulgaria’s efforts to diversify its en2 ergy sources to minimize the malign influence of dom3 inant suppliers; 

4 (7) urges Bulgaria to fully comply with the Eu5 ropean Union’s embargo on oil from the Russian Fed6 eration, including by not reexporting oil from the 

7 Lukoil Neftohim refinery located in Burgas, Bulgaria; 

8 and 

9 (8) affirms its intent to continue to support Bul10 garia’s efforts in these areas, including through the 

11 application of a wide range of supportive measures, 

12 such as— 

13 (A) targeted Global Magnitsky Sanctions, as 

14 and when appropriate; and 

15 (B) support for independent journalism, in16 cluding through the recently returned Radio Free 

17 Europe Bulgarian Service, which excels in inves18 tigative reporting. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A resolution reaffirming the alliance between the United States and 

Bulgaria, congratulating Bulgaria on its October 2, 2022 

parliamentary elections, and calling for continued 

progress in Bulgaria towards combating corruption, respecting the freedom of the press, and protecting minority rights.’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
Calendar No. 608 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 322 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the alliance between the United States 

the press, and protecting minority rights. combating corruption, respecting the freedom of ing for continued progress in Bulgaria towards July 11, 2021 parliamentary elections, and calland Bulgaria, congratulating Bulgaria on its 

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB