III 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 342 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 14, 2023 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Risch , Mrs. Shaheen , and Mr. Ricketts ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Congratulating the people of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of their independence and recognizing their substantial support to Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Whereas, on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson called for the free autonomous development of the peoples of Austria-Hungary in the Fourteen Points address to a joint session of Congress, contributing to the support of an independent Czech and Slovak nation State; Whereas the peoples of the present-day Czech Republic and Slovak Republic proclaimed independence on October 28, 1918, and October 30, 1918, respectively, forming the common state of the Republic of Czechoslovakia; Whereas, on November 12, 1918, the United States and Czechoslovakia established formal diplomatic relations; Whereas, in February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power from the democratically elected Government of Czechoslovakia; Whereas, on August 20, 1968, 20 Soviet and Warsaw Pact military divisions invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague Spring, a period of increased political and economic liberty following the appointment of Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party; Whereas, in the nonviolent Velvet Revolution of November 1989, the peoples of both nations overthrew 40 years of totalitarian communist rule and ended two decades of Soviet occupation; Whereas, after the Velvet Revolution, the peoples of Czechoslovakia established vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political systems based on free-market economics, freedom of speech, a free press, free and fair elections, the rule of law, and respect for human rights—values embodied by Václav Havel, the first president of Czechoslovakia after the fall of communism in that country; Whereas, on February 21, 1990, Czechoslovak President Václav Havel delivered his historic address before the joint session of the United States Congress on Czechoslovakia’s path to democracy; Whereas, on January 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were formally created as independent nation states after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia; Whereas the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, owing to substantial support from the United States, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on March 12, 1999, and March 29, 2004, respectively, and have made significant contributions to collective defense and the operations of NATO as well as international coalitions led by the United States around the world; Whereas the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic continue to demonstrate their strong commitment to advancing democracy, free trade, respect for human rights, international peace and security, and the rules-based international order through their membership in the European Union and other international organizations; Whereas the peoples of the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic have forged a special relationship based on their shared historic ties, mutual respect, close cooperation, and the shared values of democracy, free trade, respect for human rights, international peace and security, and the rules-based international order; Whereas, in 2023, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the National Guard State Partnership Program with the National Guards of Texas, Nebraska, and Indiana, a program which has contributed to military readiness and interoperability between the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic; Whereas the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic stand united in support of the people and Government of Ukraine against Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine; and Whereas the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic are major contributors to political, humanitarian, economic, and military assistance to Ukraine: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) commends the peoples of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic for overthrowing totalitarian communist rule in 1989 and asserting their right to self-determination and affirming their allegiance to the values of democracy, free-market economics, and respect for human rights through the peaceful, nonviolent Velvet Revolution; (2) celebrates the lasting contributions of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic to science, the arts, culture, music, literature, politics, trade, and international affairs; (3) applauds the achievements of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in building free, open, democratic, and prosperous societies over the past 30 years; (4) congratulates the peoples of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of their independence and the 105th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic; (5) congratulates the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic for their leadership in the European Union; (6) expresses gratitude for the solidarity of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic as they stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s brutal, unprovoked, and illegal invasion; (7) reaffirms the historical and transnational ties that bind together the countries and peoples of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, and the United States as freedom-loving peoples and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; (8) recognizes the importance of the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic partnership, as long-standing partners and as NATO allies, in addressing common threats and challenges, including in the areas of climate change, energy security, advanced technologies, cyber security, and resilience to disinformation and hybrid threats; (9) applauds the commitment of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic to spend two percent of their gross domestic products on defense by 2024, an important commitment they have made as NATO allies; and (10) expresses the United States commitment to further strengthen transatlantic ties and regional security through NATO, supports a faster pace of modernization of the Czech and Slovak armed forces in light of the clear threat to transatlantic peace and security posed by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and reaffirms commitment to continue working to address new and emerging threats to our security, including the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and other authoritarian actors.