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 Organi-
zation (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 func-
tioning democracy;
Whereas the Romanian Government has made excellent
progress toward respecting human rights and civil lib-
erties and has made great strides toward establishing the
rule of law;
•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 invest-
ment, 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 Hun-
gary 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 At-
lantic 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 impor-
tance 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 member-
ship and determinedly striven to meet NATO eligibility
requirements: Now, therefore, be it
•HCON 53 IH
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) Romania is to be commended for its
progress toward political and economic liberty and
meeting the guidelines for prospective North Atlan-
tic Treaty Organization (NATO) members set out in
chapter 5 of the September 1995 Study on NATO
Enlargement;
(2) Romania would make an outstanding con-
tribution toward furthering the goals of NATO upon
becoming a full member;
(3) extension of full NATO membership (with
that status being unvitiated by any potential NATO
agreement with any other entity) to Romania would
make an exceptional contribution toward stability,
freedom, and peace in Europe; and
(4) Romania should be invited to become a full
member of the NATO Alliance at the earliest stage.
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