[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 370 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 370
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 6, 2006
Received and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that Saudi Arabia should fully
live up to its World Trade Organization commitments and end all aspects
of any boycott on Israel.
Whereas the United States supported the accession of Saudi Arabia to the World
Trade Organization (WTO) in 2005;
Whereas, as part of the working party report for the accession of Saudia Arabia
to the WTO, Saudi Arabia reiterated its commitment to terminate the
secondary and tertiary boycotts on Israel;
Whereas Saudi Arabia also committed not to discriminate against any WTO members
and specifically did not invoke the non-application provisions of the
WTO Agreement, and thus has rights and obligations to all WTO members,
including Israel;
Whereas, in spite of these commitments to WTO members and United States
officials, press reports indicate that an official of the Government of
Saudi Arabia has stated that Saudi Arabia has not committed to ending
the primary boycott on Israel, which would violate Saudi Arabia's WTO
obligations toward Israel;
Whereas United States Trade Representative Portman has testified to the
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives that Saudi
Arabia's application of the boycott is a ``big concern'' of the United
States; that Saudi Arabia did not invoke non-application of WTO
commitments to Israel, so that Saudi Arabia is required to provide
nondiscriminatory treatment to Israel; and that the United States Trade
Representative has received assurances from Saudi Arabia that it will
abide by its WTO commitments; and
Whereas the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) scheduled its ``Ninth
Meeting of the Liaison Officers of Islamic Regional Officers for the
Boycott of Israel'' for the week of March 13, 2006, at the OIC's
headquarters in Saudi Arabia: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) Saudi Arabia should maintain and fully live up to its
commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and end
all aspects of any boycott on Israel; and
(2) the President, the United States Trade Representative,
and the Secretary of State--
(A) should continue their active involvement on
this issue by strongly urging the Government of Saudi
Arabia to comply with its WTO obligations; and
(B) should urge Saudi Arabia to end any boycott on
Israel.
Passed the House of Representatives April 5, 2006.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.