Thad Cochran: “I took time to comment and read some excerpts because in my view this is excellent work, and Senator Lugar ought to be…”

“I took time to comment and read some excerpts because in my view this is excellent work, and Senator Lugar ought to be strongly commended for his leadership not only in chairing this traffic force on these important issues but in his work on the Foreign Relations Committee in connection with NATO enlargement, United States-Russia relations which are the subject of this work. Madam President, I am pleased to cosponsor Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, which was introduced by Senator Roth, supporting the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, because I believe the NATO alliance will be strengthened by including new members and that its capacity to contribute to stability and freedom will be enhanced by such expansion. Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 specifically mentions four nations: Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, which should be considered for membership in the alliance, but I do not think the consideration of the Foreign Relations Committee should be limited to those countries. Serious consideration should also be given, in my opinion, to Romania, and maybe to others as well. The Romanian Government has a record of cooperation with the United States and Western nations. During the Persian Gulf crisis, for example, Romania supported U.N. resolutions imposing sanctions against Iraq and voted to authorize the United States and other nations to enforce the sanctions and liberate Kuwait.”