Title: A resolution recognizing that for 45 years, Papua New Guinea and the United States have shared a close friendship based on shared goals of stability, prosperity, and peace in the region, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the Pacific.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution commends the subsistence of democratic institutions in Papua New Guinea and encourages deepened U.S. cooperation with Papua New Guinea in areas of mutual interest. The resolution also recognizes Papua New Guinea's participation in multinational organizations and applauds the country's multilateral efforts to ensure access to electricity throughout the region.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 609 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 609

 Recognizing that for 45 years, Papua New Guinea and the United States 
  have shared a close friendship based on shared goals of stability, 
 prosperity, and peace in the region, and expressing the sense of the 
    Senate that the United States will continue to remain a strong, 
              reliable, and active partner in the Pacific.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2020

   Mr. Gardner (for himself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing that for 45 years, Papua New Guinea and the United States 
  have shared a close friendship based on shared goals of stability, 
 prosperity, and peace in the region, and expressing the sense of the 
    Senate that the United States will continue to remain a strong, 
              reliable, and active partner in the Pacific.

Whereas Papua New Guinea became independent on September 16, 1975;
Whereas Papua New Guinea is a valued security partner of the United States, 
        participating in the International Military Education and Training 
        (IMET) program, which sends members of the Papua New Guinea Defence 
        Force to professional military education courses in the United States;
Whereas the United States has partnered with Papua New Guinea and Australia to 
        modernize Papua New Guinea Defence Force's Lombrum Naval Base on Manus 
        Island to assist Papua New Guinea in defending its sovereignty and 
        maritime rights;
Whereas the United States Government supports cooperative activities with Papua 
        New Guinea, including sustainable fisheries management, HIV/AIDS 
        prevention, and care, and those authorized by the Asia Reassurance 
        Initiative Act;
Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2020 (Public Law 116-92) expands the number of countries that receive 
        assistance under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, 
        including Papua New Guinea;
Whereas Papua New Guinea hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
        Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Summit in November 2018; and
Whereas Palm Desert, California and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea are sister 
        cities, a broad-based, long-term partnership to promote peace through 
        mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation centered on people-to-
        people exchanges: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends Papua New Guinea on successfully maintaining a 
        parliamentary democracy since independence, and its ongoing 
        efforts to deliver greater transparency in infrastructure 
        development and accountability in government;
            (2) supports and affirms the full implementation of 
        provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 
        (Public Law 115-409) with regard to deepening its cooperation 
        with Papua New Guinea in areas of mutual interest, including 
        fisheries and marine resource conservation, environmental 
        challenges and resilience, global health, development and 
        trade, people-to-people ties, and continuing United States 
        assistance, as appropriate, to support the rule of law, good 
        governance, and economic development;
            (3) supports the Papua New Guinea Electrification 
        Partnership in cooperation with Australia, Japan, and New 
        Zealand, a project to connect 70 percent of the population to 
        electricity by 2030, and the executive branch's commitment to 
        principles-based, sustainable infrastructure development that 
        is transparent, non-discriminatory, environmentally 
        responsible, promotes fair and open competition, upholds robust 
        standards, meets the genuine needs of the people of Papua New 
        Guinea, and avoids unsustainable debt burdens; and
            (4) recognizes Papua New Guinea's participation in 
        multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, 
        International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development 
        Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Trade 
        Organization, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional 
        Environmental Programme, as well as the Pacific Islands Forum; 
        Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Association of 
        Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF), the 
        Pacific Community, and the South Pacific Regional Environmental 
        Program.
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