1ST CONGRESS

1ST SESSION

S. 5
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DECEMBER, 27, 2012

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States Government and the Royal Government of Bhutan, undertaken by or affecting both governments and their

To establish formal diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan, and for other purposes.

respective nations. (c) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR- The term Executive Director means the official head of the United States Mission to Bhutan, who shall automatically assume the role of United States

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. MENON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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Ambassador to Bhutan if such formal relations are explicitly consented to by the Royal Government of Bhutan, and an embassy to that nation is established. (d) AMBASSADOR- The term Ambassador shall mean a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment. (e) EMBASSY- The term Embassy shall mean one sovereign governments mission to a foreign government headed by an Ambassador as well as the building or territory associated with this mission that houses the Ambassador and staff in that foreign nation, as directed. SEC. 3 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES MISSION TO BHUTAN (a) There is established the United States Mission to Bhutan, which shall be the diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Bhutan, and shall operate as an independent and equal diplomatic mission within the

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A BILL
To establish formal diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan, and for other purposes.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Bhutan Foreign Relations Act. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS (a) MISSION- The term Mission means the United States Mission to Bhutan established under Section 3 of this Act. (b) FORMAL RELATIONS- The term formal relations, bilateral relations, or simply relations in this Act means all direct and official interaction, diplomatic or otherwise, between the United

Department of State of the United States of America.

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(b) The Mission is to be headed by an Executive Director who is to be appointed by the President of the United States. The Executive Director shall automatically assume the role of United States Ambassador and to Bhutan once formal to by relations both are

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provide for codified trade and labor agreements and

regulations, to construct a United States Embassy in Thimphu, the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and to invite the construction of an official Embassy of the Kingdom of Bhutan in the United States of America, in addition to that nations Permanent Mission to the United Nations located in the City of New York. (b) Title 22 of the Code of Law of the United States of America is amended in all relevant chapters and clauses so as to include the Kingdom of Bhutan as a sovereign state to which the Government of the United States of America shall maintain full foreign relations with, dependent on the explicit consent of the Royal Government of Bhutan. SEC. 4 CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT (a) Report- Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for at least five years, therein subject to renewal, the United States Mission to Bhutan shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States Senate a report detailing the activities and progress of relations between the Kingdom of Bhutan and the United States of America, for the fiscal year covered by the report,

mutually

explicitly

consented

nations

governments, requiring that an embassy to both nations would be so established. The Executive Director and all associated staff of the Mission shall be treated as officers or officials of any existing overseas mission within the Department of State, and shall receive equal compensation, benefits, and standing. (c) Within 365 days of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Executive Director shall appropriately staff the Mission and appoint a diplomatic delegation, consisting of qualified officers of the United States Foreign Service and the Executive Director, to formally visit the Kingdom of Bhutan, under that nations expressed permission, with the purpose of engaging the Royal Government of Bhutan in diplomatic negotiations to establish direct and formal relations between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Bhutan. (d) Within 365 days of enactment of this Act, and following the formal diplomatic visit by the appointed Mission delegation received by the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Mission and the greater Department of State of the United States of America shall present to the Royal Government of Bhutan a formal proposal or treaty, as fully discussed during the diplomatic visit, to establish direct and formal relations between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Bhutan, to

additionally relating to-(1) the fully quantified evaluations of relations between the United States and Bhutan; and (2) the strategic defense needs of that nation and the United States, keeping in mind the northern border that nation shares with the Peoples Republic of China; and

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(3) any form of assistance, financial or otherwise, to that nations government for the purpose of developing institutions and infrastructure related to the general, economic, financial, infrastructural, martial, social, cultural, educational, welfare, health, and additional needs of that nation; and (d) any recommendations for further action in order to strengthen relations with the Royal Government of Bhutan, maintain a strategic defense of that nation, and promote the image of the United States of America abroad to the people of Bhutan, and elsewhere, by providing direct assistance to the developmental needs of the people of Bhutan, and with the expressed consent of the Royal Government of Bhutan, by facilitating activity to accomplish these ends from all private entities, especially educational institutions and non-

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No later than 14 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Department of States shall communicate in writing to the Royal Government of Bhutan the intention of the establishment of formal relations between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Bhutan, which shall be facilitated through the newly established Mission.

governmental organizations that shall be dedicated to the development or assistance of the people of the Kingdom of Bhutan. (b) Testimony- Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Executive Director or Ambassador, dependent on the status of relations as recognized by both nations, shall provide testimony before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States Senate to discuss the aforementioned report as well as all relevant topics concerning the relationship between the Kingdom of Bhutan and the United States of America. SEC. 5 INITIAL NOTIFICATION