Title: A resolution expressing the Senate's support for taking interim steps to strengthen the military interoperability and resiliency of the militaries of Finland and Sweden with respect to their anticipated accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution supports, and calls for additional actions, to advance the interoperability of the Finnish and Swedish militaries with NATO forces.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 747 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 747

Expressing the Senate's support for taking interim steps to strengthen 
   the military interoperability and resiliency of the militaries of 
 Finland and Sweden with respect to their anticipated accession to the 
              North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2022

  Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Ernst, Mr. 
 Wicker, and Mr. Rounds) submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the Senate's support for taking interim steps to strengthen 
   the military interoperability and resiliency of the militaries of 
 Finland and Sweden with respect to their anticipated accession to the 
              North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance.

Whereas North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ambassadors signed the 
        Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden on July 5, 2022;
Whereas the Senate agreed to the resolution of advice and consent to 
        ratification of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on 
        the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden 
        (Treaty Doc. 117-3) on August 3, 2022;
Whereas the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will strengthen the 
        capabilities, geostrategic position, and deterrence posture of the 
        alliance in the Baltic Sea region and the North Atlantic from that day 
        forward; and
Whereas the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will reduce each current 
        member nation's respective burden share as a percentage of the total 
        alliance's deterrence and defense posture: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate, in accordance with its support for 
NATO's collective security commitment and for maximizing the combined 
defense capabilities of United States allies and partners through NATO 
coordination and cooperation, and with anticipation for the accession 
of Finland and Sweden to the alliance--
            (1) recognizes the steps taken by the United States to 
        build upon years of joint and multilateral engagement, 
        training, and exercises; and
            (2) encourages the President to further advance the efforts 
        of the United States with respect to--
                    (A) enhancing the interoperability of the 
                militaries of Finland and Sweden with the United 
                States, including via--
                            (i) exercises and training across all 
                        domains, including a focus on critical 
                        capabilities such as--
                                    (I) command, control, and 
                                communications;
                                    (II) logistics;
                                    (III) planning; and
                                    (IV) integrated and resilient 
                                operations across Northern Europe and 
                                the Arctic;
                            (ii) bomber task forces;
                            (iii) freedom of navigation operations in 
                        the territorial waters of these nations and of 
                        NATO allies in the Baltic Sea;
                            (iv) personnel and professional military 
                        education program exchanges;
                            (v) United States foreign military sales;
                            (vi) joint development of emerging 
                        technologies, including cybersecurity and 
                        telecommunications components; and
                            (vii) coordination on critical 
                        infrastructure, including dual-use 
                        infrastructure such as telecommunications 
                        infrastructure and port facilities;
                    (B) trilateral cooperation between Finland and 
                Sweden with the United States, including the military 
                activities described in clauses (i) through (vii) of 
                subparagraph (A) and through the trilateral statement 
                of intent signed by all three nations in 2018;
                    (C) multilateral interoperability between Finland, 
                Sweden, and all NATO partners, including military 
                activities described in clauses (i) through (vii) of 
                subparagraph (A); and
                    (D) countering disinformation campaigns that seek 
                to diminish the relevancy and cohesion of NATO or 
                otherwise undermine or delay the collective accession 
                process of NATO members; and
            (3) calls on all NATO members to take similar, respective 
        actions as provided in paragraph (2) to further advance the 
        interoperability of the militaries of Finland and Sweden with 
        NATO forces and bolster European security, in conjunction with 
        the rapid completion of their respective ratification 
        processes.
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