SRES 417 IS
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 417
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should expand trade opportunities with Mongolia and initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 19, 2007
Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, and Ms. MURKOWSKI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should expand trade opportunities with Mongolia and initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.
Whereas Mongolia declared an end to a 1-party Communist state in 1990 and embarked on democratic and free market reforms;
Whereas the free market reforms include adopting democratic electoral processes, enacting further political reform measures, privatizing state enterprises, lifting price controls, and improving fiscal discipline;
Whereas, since 1990, Mongolia has made progress to strengthen democratic governing institutions and protect individual rights;
Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights that Mongolia generally respects the human rights of its citizens, although concerns remain, including the treatment of prisoners, freedom of the press and information, due process, and trafficking in persons;
Whereas the Department of State found in its 2006 International Religious Freedom report that Mongolia generally respects freedom of religion, although some concerns remain;
Whereas Mongolia has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 1997, and a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank since 1991;
Whereas, in 1999, the United States extended permanent nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Mongolia;
Whereas Mongolia has provided strong and consistent support to the United States in the global war on terror, including support for United States military forces and, since May 2003, contributed peace keepers to Operation Iraqi Freedom, artillery trainers to Operation Enduring Freedom, and personnel to the United Nations peace-keeping operations in Kosovo and Sierra Leone;
Whereas the United States and Mongolia signed a bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in 2004;
Whereas Mongolia has expressed steadfast commitment to greater economic reforms, including a commitment to encourage and expand the role of the private sector, increase transparency, strengthen the rule of law, combat corruption, and comply with international standards for labor and intellectual property rights protection;
Whereas bilateral trade between the United States and Mongolia in 2005 was valued at more than $165,000,000;
Whereas, in November 2005, President George W. Bush became the first President of the United States to visit Mongolia, and on November 21, 2005, President Bush and President Enkhbayar issued a joint statement declaring that the 2 countries are committed to defining guiding principles and expanding the framework of the comprehensive partnership between the United States and Mongolia;
Whereas, on October 18, 2007, the Senate agreed to Senate Resolution 352, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the 20th anniversary of the United States-Mongolia relations, and encouraged continued economic cooperation with Mongolia;
Whereas, on October 22, 2007, the United States and Mongolia signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact Agreement;
Whereas, during the October 2007 visit of President Enkhbayar to Washington, DC, the United States and Mongolia signed a Declaration of Principles for closer cooperation between the 2 countries, reiterating a commitment to expansion of development and long term cooperation in political, economic, trade, investment, educational, cultural, arts, scientific and technological, environmental, health, defense, security, humanitarian, and other fields; and
Whereas the United States and Mongolia would benefit from expanding and diversifying trade opportunities by reducing tariff and nontariff barriers to trade: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States should continue to work with Mongolia to expand bilateral trade opportunities and initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with Mongolia.
U.S. Congress - Text of S.Res.417 as Introduced in Senate A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should expand tr...
