[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 111 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 111

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

                             July 20, 2006

 Mr. Hagel (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Obama, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. 
    Gregg) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT 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 one-party Communist state in 1990 and 
        embarked on democratic and free-market reforms;
Whereas these reforms included 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 2005 Human Rights Report that 
        Mongolia generally respected 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 2005 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 provided permanent normal trade relations 
        treatment to the products of Mongolia;
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 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 on August 6, 2002, the President signed into law H.R. 3009 (Public Law 
        107-210), the Trade Act of 2002, which provides for an expedited 
        procedure for congressional consideration of international trade 
        agreements;
Whereas on July 15, 2004, President Bush and President Bagabandi issued a joint 
        statement that declared a new era of cooperation and comprehensive 
        partnership between the two democratic countries based on shared values 
        and common strategic interests;
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 
        two countries are committed to defining guiding principles and expanding 
        the framework of the comprehensive partnership between the United States 
        and Mongolia; 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 by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should 
continue to work with Mongolia to expand bilateral United States-
Mongolia trade opportunities and initiate negotiations to enter into a 
free trade agreement with Mongolia.
                                 <all>