SJR32,1,43 Whereas, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are free, democratic, and
4independent nations with a long and proud history; and

SJR32,1,65 Whereas, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania struggled long and hard to overthrow
6the yoke of oppression visited upon them by the former Soviet Union; and

SJR32,1,87 Whereas, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is dedicated to the
8preservation of freedom and security for its member nations; and

SJR32,1,139 Whereas, since 1994, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have been active members
10of NATO's Partnership for Peace Program of cooperation between NATO and
11individual partner countries and are contributing to NATO's peace operations in the
12Balkans and currently also in central Asia, and are developing their defense through
13close coordination with NATO through the Membership Action Program; and

SJR32,2,3

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1Whereas, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania desire to share in both the benefits
2and obligations of NATO in pursuing the development, growth, and promotion of
3democratic institutions and ensuring free market economic development; and

SJR32,2,84 Whereas, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania recognize their responsibilities as
5democratic nations and are exercising such responsibilities in concert with members
6of NATO — an example being their declaration along with full NATO members of
7solidarity and support for the United States in the common fight against terrorism;
8and

SJR32,2,129 Whereas, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and the United States, as well as
10members of NATO, and other qualified NATO candidate countries find that their
11security is indivisible from the stability of central Europe and the Baltic Sea region;
12and

SJR32,2,1613 Whereas, the Council of State Governments of the United States passed a
14resolution in April 2002 endorsing the enlargement of NATO to include Estonia,
15Latvia, and Lithuania, and other qualified candidate nations who share the values
16fundamental to NATO; now, therefore, be it