[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 499 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 499
Celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations between the United States
and the Baltic States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 31, 2022
Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Boozman, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mr. Braun, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Coons, Mr. Tillis,
Mr. Murphy, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms.
Collins, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Reed, and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations between the United States
and the Baltic States.
Whereas the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania originally declared
their independence in 1918;
Whereas, in 1920, Soviet Russia signed treaties with Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania recognizing their sovereignty and renouncing all territorial
claims over each Baltic State in perpetuity;
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with Estonia, Latvia,
and Lithuania as independent countries on July 28, 1922, and the United
States and the Baltic States have grown strong as partners for the past
century;
Whereas, on August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which contained a secret protocol dividing
Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, with the Baltic States
ultimately being assigned to the Soviet Union, leading soon after to the
forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union;
Whereas, following World War II, the Soviet Union forcibly occupied the Baltic
States, imposing its model of Soviet totalitarianism for more than 5
decades;
Whereas the United States never recognized the illegal occupation of Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania by the Soviet Union, instead maintaining 100 years
of continuous diplomatic relations with the Baltic States;
Whereas, in August 1989, approximately 2,000,000 people joined hands in Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania to form a 373-mile human chain across the 3 states
known as the Baltic Chain of Freedom;
Whereas, in February 1990, the people of Lithuania participated in the first
free election to select a new parliament, which promptly voted to
restore independence, making Lithuania the first occupied Soviet
republic to declare independence on March 11, 1990, a move subsequently
followed by Latvia on May 4, 1990, and Estonia on August 20, 1991;
Whereas, in January 1991, Soviet military forces tried to quash the growing
independence restoration movement, leading to approximately 14
Lithuanian deaths, 6 Latvian deaths, and many injuries;
Whereas, in February and March 1991, the people of Lithuania, Estonia, and
Latvia voted overwhelmingly in support of their respective independence
restoration referendums, which the United States recognized later that
year;
Whereas the Baltic States helped pave the path for democracy and freedom across
Eastern Europe, leading to the fall of the Soviet Union;
Whereas, after the restoration of independence, the economies of Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania emerged as modern market economies leading in
technology and financial services sectors;
Whereas Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania continue to demonstrate their commitment
to advancing democratic values, peace, and security through their
membership and active participation in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), the European Union, and the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development;
Whereas the Baltic States have been loyal NATO allies, contributing to regional
and global security through operations in Afghanistan and leadership in
the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia, the
NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Latvia, and the
NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Lithuania;
Whereas the Baltic States contribute to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area
by spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product for defense and
to global security through determined participation in international
allied operations and missions;
Whereas Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were among the first countries to
participate in the National Guard State Partnership Program with the
Maryland, Michigan, and Pennsylvania National Guards, respectively, and,
since 1993, have provided additional opportunities to enhance National
Guard skills and improve interoperability between the United States and
Baltic forces;
Whereas, in 2019, the United States and the Baltic States signed the Security
Cooperation Roadmaps, outlining joint security cooperation priorities
for 2019 to 2024;
Whereas the Baltic States are actively involved in security assistance,
promotion of democracy, and protection of human rights across Eastern
Europe, including in Ukraine and Belarus, in the face of aggression and
an increase of troops in Belarus by the Russian Federation and the
manipulation of the migrant crisis in Europe by the Lukashenko regime;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has pursued an aggressive
disinformation campaign in the Baltic States, including intimidation of
Western civilians and troops stationed in Europe and abroad via hacking,
propaganda, and other cyberattacks, and has increased air provocations
in Eastern Europe;
Whereas, since the restoration of independence, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
have faced considerable aggressive behavior, intimidation, and
cyberattacks from the Russian Federation and, as a result, have worked
to shape total defense strategies to counter intervention by the Russian
Federation;
Whereas, after building trade ties with Taiwan, the Government of Lithuania has
faced severe economic and diplomatic coercion from the People's Republic
of China;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has brazenly imposed a
customs blockade on products from Lithuania and imports containing
Lithuanian parts, with the European Union considering taking the matter
to the World Trade Organization as a violation of international trade
rules;
Whereas, on December 21, 2021, in a call with Prime Minister of Lithuania
Ingrida Simonyte, Secretary of State Tony Blinken underscored the
ironclad solidarity of the relationship of the United States with
Lithuania as Lithuania faces geopolitical challenges to regional
stability, security, and economic prosperity;
Whereas, on January 5, 2022, at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister
of Germany Annalena Baerbock, Secretary of State Blinken added, ``We
have immediate concern about the Government of China's attempts to bully
Lithuania, a country of fewer than three million people. China is
pushing European and American companies to stop building products with
components made in Lithuania or risk losing access to the Chinese
market, all because Lithuania chose to expand their cooperation with
Taiwan.'';
Whereas, on January 24, 2022, the Secretary of Defense put 8,500 members of the
Armed Forces on high alert for potential deployment to Eastern Europe as
part of a NATO response force;
Whereas support for the Baltic States by the United States remains a crucial
factor for countering such economic and diplomatic coercion by the
Government of the People's Republic of China and ensuring security in
the Baltic States and complements the efforts of NATO to strengthen its
deterrence and defense posture, including an enhancing its forward
presence in the eastern part of the NATO Alliance with multinational
battlegroups;
Whereas the Baltic States have been models for democratic governance with strong
institutions and respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, which
are cherished shared values between the Baltic States and the United
States; and
Whereas, since the restoration of independence, the democratic and economic
development and progress of the Baltic States has established Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania as 3 shining beacons for freedom: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates 100 years of continuous diplomatic relations
between the United States and Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania;
(2) looks forward to continued growth in diplomatic
relations between the Baltic States and the United States;
(3) commits to providing continued support for the Baltic
States through economic and security cooperation, including
through the Baltic Security Initiative, further strengthening
transatlantic ties and regional presence through the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization;
(4) recognizes the courage and resilience of the people of
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in their fight for freedom and
democracy in the face of aggressive behavior by the Russian
Federation;
(5) stands in solidarity with Lithuania against economic
and diplomatic coercion by the People's Republic of China; and
(6) expresses the wish that the next 100 years of
friendship between the Baltic States and the United States
continue to build on the positive achievements and progress
made since the Baltic States restored their independence.
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