#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #bddd  ,,an ,,act  ,to authorize the
 ,secretary of ,state to make direct    
loans under section #bc of the ,arms    
,export ,control ,act1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,eastern ,european  
,security ,act4  #b4 ,sense of ,congress
 ,it is the sense of ,congress that it  
is in the national security interest of 
the ,united ,states to--  7#a7 deter    
aggression against ,north ,atlantic     
,treaty ,organization 7,,nato7 allies by
 ,russia or any other adversary2  7#b7  
assist ,,nato allies in acquiring and   
deploying modern1 ,,nato interoperable  
military equipment and reducing their   
dependence on ,russian or former        
,soviet-era defense articles2  7#c7     
ensure that ,,nato allies meet alliance 
defense commitments1 including through  
adequate investments in national        
defense2  7#d7 supplement existing grant
 assistance to key allies through       
foreign military financing loans1 at    

rates competitive with those already    
available on commercial markets1 to     
purchase ,,nato-interoperable military  
equipment2 and  7#e7 work to maintain   
and strengthen the democratic           
institutions and practices of all ,,nato
 allies1 in accordance with the goals of
 ,article #b of the ,north ,atlantic    
,treaty4  #c4 ,foreign military loan    
authority  7a7 ,in general ,beginning in
 fiscal year #bjba1 subject to the      
notification requirements under         
subsection 7b7 and to the availability  
of appropriations1 the ,president1      
acting through the ,secretary of ,state1
 is authorized--  7#a7 to make direct   
loans under section #bc of the ,arms    
,export ,control ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4    
#bgfc7 to ,,nato member countries that  
joined the alliance after ,march #a1    
#aiii1 notwithstanding the minimum      
interest rate required by subsection    
7c77#a7 of such section2 and  7#b7 to   
charge fees for such loans under        
paragraph 7#a71 which shall be collected

 from borrowers in accordance with      
section #ejb7g7 of the ,congressional   
,budget ,act of #aigd1 and which may be 
used to cover the costs of such loans as
 defined in section #ejb of the         
,congressional ,budget ,act of #aigd4   
7b7 ,notification ,a loan may not be    
made under the authority provided by    
subsection 7a7 unless the ,secretary of 
,state submits to the appropriate       
congressional committees a              
certification1 not fewer than fifteen   
days before entering into an agreement  
to make such loan1 that-- 7#a7 the      
recipient country is making demonstrable
 progress toward meeting its defense    
spending commitments in accordance with 
the #bjad ,,nato ,wales ,summit         
,declaration2 and  7#b7 the government  
of such recipient country is respecting 
that country's constitution and upholds 
democratic values such as freedom of    
religion1 freedom of speech1 freedom of 
the press1 the rule of law1 and the     
rights of religious minorities4  7c7    

,repayment ,a loan made under the       
authority provided by subsection 7a7    
shall be repaid in not more than #ab    
years1 but may include a grace period of
 up to #a year on the repayment of the  
principal4  7d7 ,appropriate            
congressional committees defined ,in    
this ,act1 the term appropriate         
congressional committees means-- 7#a7   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and 
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the
 ,house of ,representatives2 and  7#b7  
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations   
and the ,committee on ,appropriations of
 the ,senate4  ,passed the ,house of    
,representatives ,march #i1             
#bjbj4;,clerk4