BEFORE YOU VOTE LOCALLY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM 2016

• R E P U B L I C A N P L A T F O R M 2 0 1 6 •
religious freedom, as well as retribution against
ethnic minorities and others who assisted U.S.
forces during the conflict there.
India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic
trading partner. The dynamism of its people and
the endurance of their democratic institutions
are earning their country a position of leadership
not only in Asia but throughout the world. We
encourage the Indian government to permit
expanded foreign investment and trade, the key
to rising living standards for those left out of their
country’s energetic economy. For all of India’s
religious communities, we urge protection against
violence and discrimination. Republicans note with
pride the contributions to our country that are made
by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry.
Conflicts in the Middle East have created
special political and military challenges for the
people of Pakistan. Our working relationship is a
necessary, though sometimes difficult, benefit to
both, and we look toward the strengthening of
historic ties that have frayed under the weight of
international conflict. This process cannot progress
as long as any citizen of Pakistan can be punished
for helping the War on Terror. Pakistanis, Afghans,
and Americans have a common interest in ridding
the region of the Taliban and securing Pakistan’s
nuclear arsenal. That goal has been undermined by
the current Administration’s feckless treatment of
troop commitments and blatant disregard of advice
from commanders on the ground, particularly with
regard to Afghanistan. A Republican president will
work with all regional leaders to restore mutual trust
while insisting upon progress against corruption
and the narcotic trade that fuels insurgency.
Renewing the European Alliance
With bipartisan support, President Truman
forged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) as an alliance of the western democracies.
Its continued effectiveness is vital, especially in light
of recent military challenges in Eastern Europe.
With the American people spending on defense,
per capita, four times the amount spent by Europeans,
we demand, as we have in the past, that our
fellow members of NATO fulfill their commitments
and meet their need for greater investment in their
armed forces.
Our historic ties to the peoples of Europe have
been based on shared culture and values, common
interests and goals. Their endurance cannot
be taken for granted, especially in light of the
continent’s economic problems and demographic
changes. We recognize with regret the increasing
trend among many of our allies to move away from
rights and liberties that Americans hold dear, especially
freedom of speech. It would be a tragic irony
if the nations of Europe which withstood Soviet
repression were to now impose a form of it upon
themselves.
We honor our special relationship with the
people of the United Kingdom and are grateful for
their staunch support in the fight against terrorism.
We respect their decision concerning their nation’s
relationship to the European Union and pledge that,
however much other international relationships may
change, those who were first to our side in our hour
of loss will always rank first in our policies and our
esteem.
We thank the several nations of Europe
that have contributed to a united effort in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Their support and
sacrifice in the fight against Islamic terrorism
will not be forgotten. We applaud the ongoing
reconciliation in Northern Ireland and hope that
its success might be replicated in Cyprus. We urge
greater coordination in economic and security
affairs between the United States and the republics
of Eastern Europe. We urge that Poland be granted
visa waiver status and we support placement of
NATO troops in Poland.
For the people of Russia, we affirm our respect
and our determination to maintain a friendship
beyond the reach of those who wish to divide us.
We have common imperatives: Ending terrorism,
combating nuclear proliferation, promoting trade,
and more. We also have a common problem:
The continuing erosion of personal liberty and
fundamental rights under the current officials in the
Kremlin. Repressive at home and reckless abroad,
their policies imperil the nations which regained
their self-determination upon the collapse of the
Soviet Union. We will meet the return of Russian
belligerence with the same resolve that led to the
collapse of the Soviet Union. We will not accept
any territorial change in Eastern Europe imposed
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