,,iv #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #dia ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bf1 #bjad ,mr4 ,poe of ,texas 7for himself and ,mr4 ,keating7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,affirming the support of the ,united ,states for ,georgia's accession to the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato74 ,whereas successive ,united ,states ,administrations have supported ,georgia's aspirations to join the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato72 ,whereas the ,government of ,georgia has met the basic standards for accession1 even as specific reforms continue1 and has consistently displayed its willingness and ability to meet the responsibilities of membership in ,,nato2 ,whereas ,georgia's defense spending1 as roughly #b4e percent of ,,gdp1 is a half point higher than the baseline #b percent target set by ,,nato1 which only the ,united ,states1 the ,united ,kingdom1 ,france1 ,greece1 ,turkey1 and ,estonia currently meet2 ,whereas it was declared by the ,heads of ,state and ,government participating in the #bjjh ,,nato ,summit in ,bucharest1 and reaffirmed in #bjji at the ,summit in ,strasbourg and ,kehl1 in #bjaj at the ,summit in ,lisbon1 and in #bjab at the summit in ,chicago1 that ,georgia will become a member of ,,nato2 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,georgia ,charter on ,strategic ,partnership1 signed in ,january #bjji1 outlines the importance of the bilateral relationship as well as the intent of both countries to expand democracy and economic programs1 enhance defense and security cooperation1 further trade and energy cooperation1 and build people-to-people cultural exchanges2 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,georgia ,charter on ,strategic ,partnership pledges both sides to strengthen ,georgia's candidacy for ,,nato membership1 and to work within the framework of the ,,nato-,georgia ,commission to pursue a structured plan to increase interoperability and coordination of capabilities between ,,nato and ,georgia1 including via enhanced training and equipment for ,georgian forces2 ,whereas the ,european ,union 7,,eu7-,georgia ,association ,agreement1 initialed in late ,november #bjac and expected to be signed before fall #bjad1 opens new opportunities of political association and deeper economic integration with the ,,eu2 ,whereas the creation of a ,deep and ,comprehensive ,free ,trade ,area is an integral part of the ,,eu-,georgia ,association ,agreement1 which aims to gradually integrate ,georgia into the ,,eu's internal market2 ,whereas the ongoing ,,eu-,georgia ,visa ,dialogue and the ,visa ,liberalization ,action ,plan1 being implemented by ,georgia1 aim at introducing the visa-free regime between the ,,eu and ,georgia in a secure and well-managed environment2 ,whereas ,vice ,president ,joseph ,biden stated in ,tbilisi in ,july #bjji that the ,united ,states will not recognize ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia as independent states2 ,whereas ,secretary of ,state ,hillary ,rodham ,clinton stated in ,tbilisi on ,july #e1 #bjaj1 that1 we continue to call for ,russia to abide by the ,august #bjjh ceasefire commitment ''' including ending the occupation and withdrawing ,russian troops from ,south ,ossetia and ,abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions2 ,whereas in ,october #bjaj1 at the meeting of the ,united ,states-,georgia ,strategic ,partnership ,commission1 ,secretary of ,state ,hillary ,rodham ,clinton stated1 the ,united ,states will not waver in its support for ,georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity2 ,whereas the ,white ,house released a ,fact ,sheet on ,july #bd1 #bjaj1 calling for ,russia to end its occupation of the ,georgian territories of ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia ''' and for a return of international observers to the two occupied regions of ,georgia2 ,whereas ,human ,rights ,watch concluded in its #bjaa ,world ,report that ,russia continued to exercise effective con- troll over ,south ,ossetia and ,abkhazia1 preventing international observers' access and veto in international missions working there2 ,whereas the ,senate of the #aabth ,united ,states ,congress adopted a resolution 7,s4 ,res4 #age7 in ,july #bjaa affirming the ,united ,states support for the sovereignty1 independence1 and territorial integrity of the country of ,georgia1 and calling upon ,russia to remove its occupying forces from ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia2 ,whereas the ,house of ,representatives of the #aabth ,united ,states ,congress adopted a resolution 7,h4 ,res4 #ebf7 in ,september #bjab affirming support for the sovereignty1 independence1 and territorial integrity of ,georgia and the inviolability of its borders1 and recognizing ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia as regions of ,georgia illegally occupied by the ,russian ,federation2 ,whereas the ,august #bjjh military conflict between ,russia and ,georgia resulted in civilian and military causalities1 the violation of ,georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity1 and increased the number of internally displaced persons2 ,whereas the ,august #ab1 #bjjh1 ceasefire agreement negotiated by the ,european ,union ,presidency and agreed to by the ,presidents of ,georgia and the ,russian ,federation1 provides that all ,russian troops shall be withdrawn to preconflict positions2 ,whereas ,georgia in #bjaj made a unilateral pledge not to use force against ,russia or ,georgia's ,russian-occupied territories of ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia1 and reiterated that pledge in a unanimous parliamentary resolution in #bjac2 ,whereas since #aiic1 the territorial integrity of ,georgia has been reaffirmed by the international community in #cf ,united ,nations ,security ,council resolutions2 ,whereas ,russia continues to erect physical barriers along the ,administrative ,boundary ,lines of the occupied ,georgian regions of ,abkhazia and ,south ,ossetia1 where ,russian troops continue to be stationed despite a commitment in the #bjjh ceasefire agreement to withdraw to preconflict positions2 ,whereas ,russia has not reciprocated to ,georgia's unilateral pledges for non-use of force2 ,whereas the ,united ,states supports ,georgia's independence1 sovereignty1 and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of ,georgia2 ,whereas at the ,april #ae1 #bjaa1 meeting in ,berlin1 ,germany1 between the ,georgian foreign minister and foreign ministers of ,,nato1 ,secretary of ,state ,hillary ,rodham ,clinton stated1 ,u4,s4 support for ,georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity remains steadfast ''' ,we share ,georgian concerns regarding recent ,russian activities that can negatively affect regional stability2 ,whereas the ,north ,atlantic ,council ,foreign ,ministers1 meeting on ,december #g1 #bjaa1 applauded the significant operational support provided to ,,nato by aspirant partners ,georgia1 the former ,yugoslav ,republic of ,macedonia1 ,montenegro1 and ,bosnia and ,herzegovina2 ,whereas ,vice ,president ,joseph ,biden stated in ,munich on ,february #b1 #bjad1 that there is unfinished business in our common project of a ,europe whole and free4 ,georgia and the states of the ,balkans have unfulfilled aspirations for ,euro-,atlantic integration4 ,the pace of these integration efforts will be determined by the aspirants themselves4 ,but we too share a responsibility for helping them achieve their rightful place in ,europe and the ,transatlantic ,alliance42 ,whereas the ,government of ,georgia1 beginning with the ,rose ,revolution of #bjjc1 has taken significant steps toward promoting democratic1 judicial1 and economic reforms and has indicated its intent to continue to make progress in these areas2 ,whereas ,georgia has initiated positive developments and commitments in the areas of constitutional reforms1 strengthening the role of ,parliament1 and utilizing international election organizations and transparency2 ,whereas the ,office for ,democratic ,institutions and ,human ,rights1 other international observers1 and the ,united ,states indicated that ,georgia's ,october #bjac ,presidential election met international standards2 ,whereas international observers have hailed ,georgia's ,october #bjab parliamentary elections as competitive and complimented the country's leaders for conducting a democratic vote2 ,whereas ,secretary of ,state ,john ,kerry said in ,may #bjac1 ,we remain committed to ,georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders1 and to the continued strengthening of ,georgia's democratic institutions ''' and we continue to support ,georgia's integration into the ,euro-,atlantic community2 ,whereas recognizing that members of ,,nato share a common adherence to democratic norms1 ,georgia can best prepare itself for membership by progressing on its democratic reform agenda2 ,whereas1 ,h4 ,res4 #ebf of ,september #bjab also expresses support for ,georgia's ,,nato membership aspirations and to advance further implementation of decisions taken by the allies at the ,,nato ,summits in ,bucharest1 ,strasbourg and ,kehl1 and ,lisbon with regard to ,georgia's ,,nato membership2 ,whereas1 during the ,,nato ,military ,committee 7,,mc7 visit to ,georgia on ,february #aa1 #bjad1 and ,february #ab1 #bjad1 ,general ,knud ,bartels1 ,chairman of the ,,nato ,,mc emphasized ,georgia's significant progress in achieving its ambitious defense reforms2 expressed the ,committee's strong support for the reforms and its confidence that the transformation is comprehensive1 solid and irreversible1 also noting that ,the ,,nato ,military ,committee strongly supports these reforms and looks forward to strengthening military cooperation1 both in terms of operational engagements and interoperability in order to maintain the beneficial partnership we have built throughout the years42 ,whereas ,georgia has been a reliable partner and ally in enhancing global peace and stability with its contribution to operations in ,iraq and ,afghanistan2 ,whereas in ,iraq1 thousands of ,georgian forces helped guard the ,iraqi side of the ,iraq-,iran border1 having redeployed from the safety of the ,green ,zone to accept this dangerous mission2 ,whereas in ,afghanistan1 ,georgia has contributed troops to the ,,nato-,international ,security ,assistance ,force 7,,isaf7 mission since #bjjd1 and engaged in combat operations in ,helmand province side-by-side with the ,united ,states ,marines2 ,whereas ,georgia has been the largest non-,,nato troop contributor and the fifth largest troop contributor overall1 serving without any national caveats2 ,whereas1 despite the heavy casualties1 ,georgia is committed to remain in the ,,nato ,,isaf until the end of the mission and stands ready to continue its significant contribution to the ,,nato's post-,,isaf missions in ,afghanistan2 ,whereas ,georgia remains committed to provide full transit capacity in support of the ,united ,states and coalition troops in ,afghanistan2 ,whereas ,,nato agreed to include ,georgia in the ,,nato ,response ,force in #bjae2 ,whereas ,georgia expressed its intent to participate in ,,eu and ,united ,nations-led crisis management and stabilization missions2 ,whereas the ,united ,states rejects the long-outdated notion of the spheres of influence and strongly stands by the principle that sovereign democracies are free in their decision and choice of their own partnerships and alliances2 ,whereas ,georgia has sought to strengthen its economic and political ties with ,,nato countries2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states has long supported the ,european aspirations of ,georgia3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports ,georgia's aspirations to join the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato72 7#b7 recognizes the significant benefits of closer economic and political ties between ,,nato members and ,georgia which will spur economic growth1 strengthen democratic institutions and norms1 and bolster the rule of law in the ,south ,caucasus region as well as other countries in ,eastern ,europe2 7#c7 calls on the ,government of ,russia to respect the rights of countries to make their own sovereign choices with regard to international partnerships1 including to join ,,nato2 7#d7 urges the ,administration and the ,united ,states ,department of ,state to continue to work closely with ,georgia to support its entry into ,,nato2 7#e7 acknowledges and supports the progress made by ,georgia in the ,,nato membership process2 and 7#f7 urges ,,nato members to extend a ,membership ,action ,plan 7,,map7 to ,georgia at the ,,nato ,summit in the ,united ,kingdom in ,september #bjad4