CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—SEPT. 18, 1996 110 STAT. 4489 Whereas the Secretary of Defense of the United States and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of defense and mihtary relations on July 27, 1993; Whereas Ukraine has sought to promote constructive cooperation with its neighbors through humanitarian assistance and through mediation of disputes; Whereas Ukraine has provided Ukrainian troops as part of the international peacekeeping force meant to prevent the spread of conflict in the states of the former Yugoslavia; and Whereas Ukraine has acted in defense of its sovereignty and that of other newly independent states by opposing the emergence of any political or military organization which has the potential to promote the reintegration of the states of the former Soviet Union: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring). That it is the sense of the Congress that— (1) Ukraine has made significant progress in political reform in its first 5 years of independence and that it is to be congratulated for the successful conduct of free and fair elections for the presidency and parliament and for the adoption of a new constitution; (2) the territorial integrity of Ukraine in its existing borders is an important element of European peace and stability; (3) the President and Parliament of Ukraine should focus their efforts on passing legislation needed to implement the new democratic constitution; (4) the Government of Ukraine should continue its efforts to ensure the rights of all citizens of Ukraine regardless of their ethnic or religious background; (5) the Government of Ukraine should make its first priority the dismantling of the remaining socialist sectors of its economy, particularly by speedily privatizing medium and large state-owned enterprises, privatizing state and collective farms and ending their monopolistic control of the agro-industrial sector, and fostering a competitive market-based energy sector; (6) the Government of Ukraine should make the necessary institutional and legal reforms to create a stable tax regime, foster market-based competition, protect the right to private property, and make other changes that build a positive climate for foreign investment; (7) the Government of Ukraine should make it a priority to build the institutional capacity and legal framework needed to fight crime and corruption effectively in a democratic environment; (8) the Government of Ukraine should continue its cooperative efforts with the "G-7" group of States to safely and expeditiously shut down the nuclear reactors at Chernobyl, Ukraine; (9) the President of the United States should support continued United States assistance to Ukraine for its political and economic reforms, for efforts associated with the safe and secure dismantlement of its weapons of mass destruction, and for the increased safety of operation of its civilian nuclear reactors, and assistance for the establishment of rule of law, for criminal justice and law enforcement training, and for the promotion of trade and investment, and in this regard United
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