[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 833 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
H. Res. 833
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
April 27, 2022.
Whereas the Republic of Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in
1991;
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with Moldova on
February 18, 1992, and the 2 countries have since enjoyed expanded and
positive relations;
Whereas United States assistance to Moldova and the Strategic Dialogue between
the United States and Moldova, which was launched on March 3, 2014, has
strengthened the relationship between the 2 countries and focused on
advancing shared interests in democracy, good governance, rule of law,
anticorruption, energy independence, economic development, and security
cooperation;
Whereas Congress and State and local communities have a history of engaging with
Moldovan young leaders, civil society, and Members of Parliament through
official exchanges;
Whereas Moldova ratified an association agreement containing comprehensive free
trade provisions with the European Union in 2014 and the agreement
became fully effective in July 2016;
Whereas Moldova's main trading partner is the European Union;
Whereas Moldova is a member of the European Union's Eastern Partnership;
Whereas since the Russian Federation's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine
on February 24, 2022, Moldova has opened its border to refugees fleeing
Ukraine;
Whereas, on March 3, 2022, Moldova submitted an application to become a member
of the European Union;
Whereas the Moldovan 2020 Presidential and 2021 parliamentary elections resulted
in a government with a mandate to fight corruption, reinvigorate
economic reforms, enhance judicial independence, revitalize European
integration efforts, and strengthen relations with the United States;
Whereas, in November 2020, Moldova elected its first female President, Maia
Sandu, and since August 6, 2021, women serve as both Moldova's head of
state and head of government;
Whereas according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the most recent
elections were ``well administered, competitive and fundamental freedoms
were largely respected'';
Whereas in a judgment in 2004, the European Court of Human Rights found that
Moldova's separatist region of Transnistria was created with the support
of the Government of the Russian Federation and considered it ``under
the effective authority or at least decisive influence'' of the Kremlin;
Whereas the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Moldova and on that basis participates as an observer in the ``5+2''
negotiations to find a comprehensive settlement that will provide a
special status for Transnistria within Moldova's internationally
recognized borders;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation maintains a contingent of
military forces and a stockpile of military equipment and ammunition
within the Transnistrian region constituting an occupation of Moldovan
territory and a violation of Moldova's territorial sovereignty;
Whereas the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe Mission to Moldova, and the Government of Moldova have called
upon the Kremlin to remove its troops from the territory of Moldova;
Whereas, in July 2017, the Moldovan Parliament adopted a declaration calling on
the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from Moldova;
Whereas, on September 22, 2021, Moldovan President Maia Sandu addressed the
United Nations General Assembly and called for the Kremlin to withdraw
its troops from the Transnistrian region;
Whereas Moldova has been a valued and reliable partner in promoting global
security by participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions in the
Central African Republic, Kosovo, and South Sudan, supporting United
States efforts to increase international cooperation in combating
terrorism, and providing demining units and postconflict humanitarian
assistance in Iraq;
Whereas, since 1996, Moldova's Armed Forces have participated in the United
States National Guard State Partnership Program as a partner to the
North Carolina National Guard, which led to the creation of the Moldova-
North Carolina Bilateral Partnership, which has facilitated cooperation
in the areas of civil emergency operations, expansion of markets,
coordination of humanitarian efforts and cultural, scientific, and
academic exchanges;
Whereas Moldova cooperates with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization through
the Partnership for Peace program, including participation in the
Defense and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative, a flagship
defense reform partnership focused on reforming and modernizing
Moldova's Armed Forces to improve expertise, interoperability, and
peacekeeping capabilities; and
Whereas, on September 21, 2021, President Biden addressed the 76th United
Nations General Assembly stating that the democratic world ``lives in
the proud Moldovans who helped deliver a landslide victory for the
forces of democracy, with a mandate to fight graft, to build a more
inclusive economy'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) urges the United States Government, European Union, and other
transatlantic partners to increase cooperation, coordination, and
support for the Republic of Moldova's democratic development, economic
and energy independence, and efforts to root out corruption;
(2) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to support
the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Moldova and
the inviolability of its borders;
(3) affirms Moldova's sovereign right to determine its own
partnerships free of external coercion and pressure, and affirms
Moldova's right to associate with the European Union or any regional
organization;
(4) encourages increased activity related to the Strategic Dialogue
as a means to strengthen relations between Moldova and the United
States;
(5) supports the Joint Commercial Commission between the United
States and Moldova to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment
relationship between the 2 nations and improve Moldova's investment
climate;
(6) encourages the United States Government to engage at a
leadership level to enhance United States partnerships with the
Government of Moldova and civil society organizations;
(7) encourages the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, the Chief Executive
Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, the Secretary of Energy,
and the United States Trade Representative to increase and focus
assistance on justice sector reform, strengthening democratic
institutions, promoting an open and transparent government, fostering
indigenous independent media and an open information environment,
increasing domestic energy development, diversification of energy
supplies and energy efficiency, improving transport and communication
infrastructure, as well as the promotion of trade and investment
opportunities, along with inclusive economic growth focusing on the
rural areas beyond the capital;
(8) commends Moldova's efforts to take in Ukrainian refugees and
urges increased assistance by the United States, European Union, and
other allies and partners to Moldova to assist with those efforts;
(9) reaffirms the importance of free, fair, and transparent
elections in Moldova;
(10) urges the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development, the Chief Executive Officer
of the United States Agency for Global Media, and other heads of Federal
departments and agencies to continue to work with the Government of
Moldova and Moldovan civil society to strengthen independent media and
combat Russian disinformation and propaganda;
(11) calls upon the Government of the Russian Federation to fulfill
its commitments made at the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe's Istanbul summit in 1999, and to withdraw its military forces
and munitions from within the internationally recognized territory of
Moldova;
(12) calls upon the Government of the Russian Federation to refrain
from military and economic threats to Moldova and cease any and all
actions that support the so-called ``authorities'' in the separatist
region of Transnistria;
(13) supports a results-oriented 5+2 process as a constructive
format for resolving the Transnistria conflict through a comprehensive
settlement that secures Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity;
and
(14) affirms that lasting stability and security in Moldova is in
the strategic interest of the United States and that these can only be
achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova and all
European countries are respected.
Attest:
Clerk.