Ill STAT. 2434 PUBLIC LAW 105-118—NOV. 26, 1997 international agreements on human rights and religious freedoms to which the Russian Federation is a party. Effective date. (b) This section shall become effective 150 days after the enactment of this Act UNITED STATES POLICY REGARDING SUPPORT FOR COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA SEC. 578. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress makes the following findings: (1) The ancient Silk Road, once the economic lifeline of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, traversed much of the territory now within the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. (2) Economic interdependence spurred mutual cooperation among the peoples along the Silk Road and restoration of the historic relationships and economic ties between those peoples is an important element of ensuring their sovereignty as well as the success of democratic and market reforms. (3) The development of strong political and economic ties between countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia and the West will foster stability in the region. (4) The development of open market economies and open democratic systems in the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia will provide positive incentives for international private investment, increased trade, and other forms of commercial interactions with the rest of the world. (5) The Caspian Sea Basin, overlapping the territory of the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, contains proven oil and gas reserves that may exceed $4,000,000,000,000 in value. (6) The region of the South Caucasus and Central Asia will produce oil and gas in sufficient quantities to reduce the dependence of the United States on energy from the volatile Persian Gulf region. (7) United States foreign policy and international assistance should be narrowly targeted to support the economic and political independence of the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. (b) GENERAL.— The policy of the United States in the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia should be— (1) to promote sovereignty and independence with democratic government; (2) to assist actively in the resolution of regional conflicts; (3) to promote friendly relations and economic cooperation; (4) to help promote market-oriented principles and practices; (5) to assist in the development of infrastructure necessary for communications, transportation, and energy and trade on an East-West axis in order to build strong international relations and commerce between those countries and the stable, democratic, and market-oriented countries of the Euro-Atlantic Community; and (6) to support United States business interests and investments in the region. (c) DEFINITION. —In this section, the term "countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia" means Armenia, Azerbaijan,
�
