Gilman resolution supports Ukraine's independence (04/07/96)

Gilman resolution supports Ukraine's independence

by Marta Kunasz
Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House International Relations Committee, has introduced a concurrent resolution "Supporting the Independence and Sovereignty of Ukraine and its Political and Economic Reforms." This is the first time in history that a resolution in support of Ukraine's independence was introduced in Congress.

The chairman stated in his opening remarks on December 15, 1995: "I am today introducing House Concurrent Resolution 120, expressing the support of the United States Congress for the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and for political and economic reforms in that important country. In laying out a number of areas that both Ukraine and the United States should focus upon, House Concurrent Resolution 120 should serve as a continuation to the evolving relationship between our two countries."

He went on to congratulate Ukraine for the successful conduct of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, and called on the president and Parliament of Ukraine to continue their efforts to agree upon and submit to the Ukrainian people for their approval a new democratic constitution.

The resolution urges the government of Ukraine to: continue efforts to ensure the rights of all citizens; accelerate efforts to transform its economy; proceed expeditiously with the privatization of state-owned enterprises; place high priority on adopting laws to encourage economic growth based on market mechanisms, private enterprise and the right to own property; continue efforts to reach agreement with the G-7 states to shut down the nuclear reactors at Chornobyl; and continue to oppose emergence of any collective military bloc on the territory of the former Soviet Union.

It calls on the president of the United States to: support continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine for specified purposes, including political and economic reforms; insist that the government of the Russian Federation recognize Ukraine's sovereignty; express support for Ukraine's insistence that it be provided with appropriate compensation for use of its facilities on its territory; ensure that Ukraine's national security interests are fully considered in any revision of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe and that its interests as an integral part of Central and Eastern Europe are fully considered in any review of European security arrangements; support continued U.S. security assistance for Ukraine; and ensure continued U.S. efforts to assist Ukraine in its accession to the World Trade Organization.

The resolution also calls for the United States to continue to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle to bring peace, prosperity and democracy to Ukraine and to the other independent states of the former Soviet Union.

The list of resolution co-sponsors currently includes: William Goodling (R-Pa.), Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.) and Martin Hoke (R-Ohio), who sponsored it as it was introduced; as well as David McIntosh (R-Ind.), Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), William Lipinski (D-Ill.), Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), Herbert Bateman (R-Va.), Thomas Foglietta (D-Pa.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and Richard Baker (R-La.)

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