House Passes Resolution Supporting a NATO Membership Plan for Georgia and Ukraine |
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, H. Res. 997, a resolution supporting a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Georgia and Ukraine. Gus, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Europe, co-sponsored the resolution and supported its passage. On several occasions, Gus has met with officials from the Ukrainian government, including Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, on the strategic necessity for the United States to support Ukraine's NATO MAP. H. Res. 997 recognizes the "lasting stability and security in Europe and Eurasia require the military, economic, and political integration of emerging democracies into existing European structures." Furthermore, it states that "NATO members can and should play a critical role in addressing the security challenges of the post-Cold War era in creating the stable environment needed for emerging democracies in Europe and Eurasia." The resolution also acknowledges that "participation in a Membership Action Plan does not guarantee future membership in the NATO Alliance" and U.S. support for Georgia and Ukraine in NATO MAP "demonstrates support for the development of democratic institutions in those countries, the process of defense reform and respect for human rights, and does not represent a hostile attempt to expand the Alliance at the expense of the security of any country." President Bush, who is in Bucharest for this year's NATO Summit, on Wednesday put the weight of the United States behind a NATO MAP for both Georgia and Ukraine. From Reuters...
Gus had this to say following the passage of H.Res. 997...
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