A resolution commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Hungary, and the Republic of Poland as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Mr. President, today I submit a resolution urging the Government of Moldova to ensure a fair and democratic election process for the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009.

Since independence in 1991, Moldova has made notable progress in establishing a democratic political system and a free market economy. However, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, has reported that recent rounds of parliamentary elections have fallen short on a number of international election standards.

In 2005, the Senate passed a Resolution expressing our support for democratic reform in Moldova and urging the Government of Moldova to ensure unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to all media outlets in the run-up to the 2005 parliamentary elections. While the OSCE found that the 2005 elections generally complied with international standards, it found that ``campaign conditions and access to media'' fell short of these standards. The OSCE reported similar circumstances following the 2007 parliamentary elections, including a lack of ``equitable media access'' among the candidates.

This Resolution re-affirms the United States Senate's support for political reform and fair democratic processes with our partners in Moldova. It urges the Government of Moldova to recognize the importance of guaranteeing all election candidates equitable access to media outlets in Moldova for the April 2009 elections. This will be an important consideration for receiving a Compact from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and for Moldova's full integration as a member of the Western community of democracies.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of Senate Resolution 60, and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 42, S. Res. 56.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.