Title: A resolution reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and Mongolia and recognizing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the importance of the relationship between the United States and Mongolia, as well as the continued democratic development of Mongolia. The resolution also encourages expanded U.S. efforts to support Mongolia in certain areas, particularly with respect to economic development.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 665 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 665

  Reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and 
Mongolia and recognizing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2020

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and 
Mongolia and recognizing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia.

Whereas the United States and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 
        January 1987, and since that time the relationship has grown stronger 
        based on shared strategic interests, security cooperation, democratic 
        values, good governance, and respect for human rights;
Whereas, since its peaceful democratic revolution in 1989, through a series of 
        initiatives, Mongolia has charted a successful path to multiparty 
        democracy and a free market economy;
Whereas, in 1990, the Government of Mongolia declared an end to a one-party, 
        authoritarian, political system and adopted democratic and free market 
        reforms;
Whereas, in 1992, Mongolia adopted a constitution establishing a parliamentary 
        democracy, becoming the first country in Asia to transition from 
        communism to democracy;
Whereas Mongolia has shown its commitment to a ``third neighbor'' relationship 
        with the United States by sending troops to support United States 
        operations in Iraq from 2003 through 2008 and Afghanistan since 2009, 
        and Mongolia has a strong record of troop contributions to international 
        peacekeeping missions;
Whereas successive Mongolian governments have taken notable steps to strengthen 
        civil society, battle corruption, and spur economic development;
Whereas the Parliament of Mongolia, the State Great Khural, has engaged with 
        Congress, including through the House Democracy Partnership, thereby 
        promoting responsive and effective governance through peer-to-peer 
        cooperation;
Whereas Mongolia began as a partner to the Organization for Security and Co-
        operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2004, graduated to become a participating 
        state in 2012, and participates actively in the work of the OSCE for 
        stability, peace, and democracy;
Whereas Mongolia has regularly invited the OSCE and other organizations to send 
        monitoring teams for its presidential and parliamentary elections;
Whereas Mongolia has also been an active member of the Community of Democracies 
        (CoD), a global coalition of states that support adherence to common 
        democratic values and standards, and Mongolia has not only remained 
        active since the founding of the CoD in 2000, but successfully chaired 
        the CoD from 2011 through 2013; 
Whereas, in addition to supporting the OSCE and CoD, Mongolia supports 
        democratic initiatives while participating in a wide range of other 
        global institutions;
Whereas, most recently, on June 24, 2020, Mongolia successfully organized 
        parliamentary elections, strengthening its commitment to democracy and 
        the rule of law;
Whereas the success of Mongolia as a democracy and its strategic location, 
        sovereignty, territorial integrity, and ability to pursue an independent 
        foreign policy are highly relevant to the national security of the 
        United States; 
Whereas the United States has provided support to Mongolia through the 
        Millennium Challenge Corporation through an initial compact signed in 
        2007 designed to increase economic growth and reduce poverty and a 
        second compact signed in 2018 involving investments in water 
        infrastructure, including supply and wastewater recycling, as well as 
        water sector sustainability; 
Whereas, on September 20, 2018, the United States and Mongolia signed a joint 
        statement and the Roadmap for Expanded Economic Partnership, outlining 
        the intent to deepen the bilateral commercial relationship through full 
        implementation of the obligations under the Agreement on Transparency in 
        Matters Related to International Trade and Investment between the United 
        States of America and Mongolia, signed at New York September 24, 2013 
        (in this preamble referred to as the ``United States-Mongolia 
        Transparency Agreement''), and to collaborate in supporting Mongolian 
        small- and medium-sized enterprises through various programs and 
        projects;
Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, trade between the United States 
        and Mongolia is modest but growing, with total trade in 2019 between the 
        two countries of approximately $217,500,000, including $192,700,000 in 
        United States exports to Mongolia and $24,800,000 in United States 
        imports from Mongolia;
Whereas Mongolia is a beneficiary country under the Generalized System of 
        Preferences program, but its use of the program remains low, as, in 
        2018, only $3,300,000 of exports from Mongolia to the United States were 
        under the program; and
Whereas, on July 31, 2019, the United States and Mongolia declared the bilateral 
        relationship a Strategic Partnership and noted the shared desire--

    (1) to intensify cooperation as strong democracies based on the rule of 
law through safeguarding and promoting democratic values and human rights, 
including the freedoms of religion or belief, expression, including 
internet and media freedom, assembly, and association, anticorruption and 
fiscal transparency, and youth and emerging leader development;

    (2) to cooperate in promoting national security and stability across 
the Indo-Pacific region so that all countries, secure in their sovereignty, 
are able to pursue economic growth consistent with international law and 
principles of fair competition;

    (3) to deepen national security and law-enforcement ties through 
collaboration on bilateral and multilateral security, judicial, and law-
enforcement efforts in the region;

    (4) to strengthen cooperation in multilateral engagements such as 
peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and disaster preparedness and relief 
operations;

    (5) to expand trade and investment relations on a fair and reciprocal 
basis, support private sector-led growth, fully implement the United 
States-Mongolia Transparency Agreement, promote women's entrepreneurship, 
and continue to explore support for infrastructure under the new United 
States International Development Finance Corporation with the new tools 
provided under the BUILD Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.);

    (6) to strengthen border security, prevent illegal transshipment and 
trafficking, expand cooperation on civil aviation safety and oversight, and 
efficiently facilitate legitimate travel between Mongolia and the United 
States;

    (7) to increase cooperation in addressing transnational threats such as 
terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, the proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction, cyberattacks, transnational organized crime, 
pandemics, and other emerging nontraditional security threats;

    (8) to continue to develop an environment in which civil society, 
social media, and a free and independent media can flourish; and

    (9) to maintain high-level official dialogues, encourage bilateral 
exchanges at all levels of government, and further develop people-to-people 
exchanges to deepen engagement on issues of mutual interest and concern: 
Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the importance of the relationship between 
        the United States and Mongolia and remains committed to 
        advancing this Strategic Partnership in the future;
            (2) emphasizes the importance of free and fair elections in 
        Mongolia;
            (3) applauds the continued engagement of Mongolia in the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the 
        Community of Democracies, congressional-parliamentary 
        partnerships, including continued high-level parliamentary 
        exchange, and other institutions that promote democratic 
        values, which reinforces the commitment of the people and the 
        Government of Mongolia to those values and standards;
            (4) encourages the United States Government to help 
        Mongolia use its benefits under the Generalized System of 
        Preferences program and other relevant programs to increase 
        trade between the United States and Mongolia;
            (5) urges the United States International Development 
        Finance Corporation to expand activities in Mongolia to support 
        economic development, diversification of the economy of 
        Mongolia, and women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises;
            (6) urges private and public support to help diversify the 
        economy of Mongolia through increased cooperation and 
        investments, as well as infrastructure and other vital 
        projects;
            (7) urges the Department of State, the United States Agency 
        for International Development, and other relevant agencies to 
        continue to support Mongolia's democratic and economic 
        development and efforts on anticorruption;
            (8) reaffirms the importance of civil society to the 
        continued democratic development of Mongolia;
            (9) encourages the Government of Mongolia to build a 
        regulatory system that supports and encourages the growth and 
        operation of independent nongovernmental organizations and 
        continues to pursue policies of transparency that uphold 
        democratic values; and
            (10) encourages the Government of Mongolia to continue 
        legal reform, institutional capacity building, and to improve 
        the independence of other democratic institutions.
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