,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of
 ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #aa1
 #bjai ,mr4 ,johnson 7for himself1 ,mrs4
 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,murphy1   
,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4         
,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,gardner1 ,mr4 ,rubio1  
,mr4 ,cramer1 and ,mr4 ,enzi7 submitted 
the following resolution2 which was     
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,relations  ,,resolution                
,congratulating the ,hellenic ,republic 
and the ,republic of ,north ,macedonia  
on ratification of the ,prespa          
,agreement1 which resolves a            
long-standing bilateral dispute and     
establishes a strategic partnership     
between the #b countries4  ,whereas1 in 
#bjag1 ,prime ,minister of the ,hellenic
 ,republic ,alexis ,tsipras and ,prime  
,minister of the ,republic of ,macedonia
 ,zoran ,zaev displayed great political 
courage and leadership by intensifying  
efforts to resolve a nearly #cj-year    
dispute between the #b countries2       

,whereas1 on ,june #ag1 #bjah1 the      
foreign ministers of the ,hellenic      
,republic and the ,republic of          
,macedonia signed the ,prespa           
,agreement1 in which1 subject to        
ratification by the parliament of each  
country1 both parties agreed that the   
official name of the ,republic of       
,macedonia would be changed to the      
,republic of ,north ,macedonia2         
,whereas1 on ,september #cj1 #bjah1 the 
,republic of ,macedonia held a          
consultative referendum on the proposed 
name change in which over #ij percent of
 those voting supported joining the     
,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization  
7referred to in this preamble as ,,nato7
 and the ,european ,union 7referred to  
in this preamble as the ,,eu7 by        
accepting the ,prespa ,agreement2       
,whereas1 on ,january #aa1 #bjai1 the   
,assembly of the ,republic of           
,macedonia1 in accordance with the      
,prespa ,agreement1 approved            
constitutional amendments to change the 

name of the country to the ,republic of 
,north ,macedonia2 ,whereas1 on ,january
 #be1 #bjai1 the ,hellenic ,parliament  
ratified the ,prespa ,agreement1        
pledging not to object to the ,republic 
of ,north ,macedonia joining            
international organizations1 including  
,,nato and the ,,eu2 ,whereas the       
,hellenic ,republic is an important ally
 of the ,united ,states1 hosting ,united
 ,states ,naval ,support ,activity      
,souda ,bay on the island of ,crete in  
the ,mediterranean ,sea2 ,whereas the   
,hellenic ,republic has been a ,,nato   
member since #aieb1 and has faithfully  
met the #b percent of gross domestic    
product defense-spending goal           
established at the #bjad ,wales ,,nato  
,summit2 ,whereas the ,republic of      
,macedonia made important contributions 
to the ,united ,states-led ,operation   
,iraqi ,freedom and to the              
,international ,security ,assistance    
,force of ,,nato in ,afghanistan2       
,whereas the ,republic of ,north        

,macedonia continues to provide soldiers
 to the ,resolute ,support ,mission of  
,,nato in ,afghanistan2 ,whereas the    
,republic of ,macedonia joined ,,nato's 
,partnership for ,peace in #aiie1       
commenced a ,,nato ,membership ,action  
,plan in #aiii1 fulfilled the terms     
necessary for accession to ,,nato by the
 #bjjh ,bucharest ,summit1 and was      
invited1 in #bjah1 to begin ,,nato      
accession talks2 ,whereas the ,republic 
of ,macedonia was the first western     
,balkan country to sign a ,stabilization
 and ,association ,agreement with the   
,,eu1 and became an official candidate  
to join the ,,eu in #bjje2 ,whereas1 in 
,june #bjah1 the ,european ,council set 
out the path toward opening ,,eu        
accession negotiations with the         
,republic of ,macedonia2 and ,whereas   
the resolution of the naming dispute    
between the ,hellenic ,republic and the 
,republic of ,north ,macedonia paves the
 way for the ,republic of ,north        
,macedonia to become a member of ,,nato 

and the ,,eu3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 congratulates  
the ,hellenic ,republic and the         
,republic of ,north ,macedonia for      
resolving their nearly #cj-year naming  
disagreement2  7#b7 commends the        
leadership and courage of ,prime        
,minister of the ,hellenic ,republic    
,alexis ,tsipras and ,prime ,minister of
 the ,republic of ,north ,macedonia     
,zoran ,zaev2  7#c7 asserts that the    
agreement between the ,hellenic         
,republic and the ,republic of ,north   
,macedonia advances stability1 security1
 and prosperity in ,southeast ,europe2  
7#d7 supports the integration of the    
,republic of ,north ,macedonia into     
,euro-,atlantic institutions1 including 
the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty            
,organization and the ,european ,union2 
and  7#e7 encourages other countries in 
the region to follow the example of the 
,hellenic ,republic and the ,republic of
 ,north ,macedonia in peacefully        
resolving long-standing disputes4