[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 36 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 36

Expressing support for equal and fair access to higher education in the 
    Albanian language in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

  Mr. Gilman submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for equal and fair access to higher education in the 
    Albanian language in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Whereas failure to achieve fair and cooperative inter-ethnic relations often 
        leads to governmental repression and conflict between peoples of 
        different ethnic backgrounds;
Whereas the achievement of fair and cooperative treatment of all citizens, 
        regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, is a serious challenge for all 
        of the states of the Balkans region, including those states that gained 
        their independence after the dissolution of the Socialist Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia;
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia faces important issues 
        involving the fair and equitable treatment of all of its citizens, 
        regardless of their ethnic background;
Whereas the extraordinary census conducted by the Government of the Former 
        Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in June 1994 determined that those 
        citizens of Albanian descent constitute at least 23 percent of the total 
        population;
Whereas Macedonia's citizens of Albanian descent are increasingly concerned to 
        ensure fair and equitable treatment as citizens of the state of 
        Macedonia, including appropriate opportunities for education at all 
        levels of instruction;
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a member of the Council of 
        Europe, an organization that encourages its member states to provide the 
        opportunity for educational instruction in the languages of minority 
        groups that constitute the citizenry of those states;
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a member of the 
        Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, an organization 
        that, in the ``Copenhagen Document'' of its 1990 Conference on the Human 
        Dimension, noted the need for adequate opportunities for educational 
        instruction in the native languages of citizens from minority groups;
Whereas international documents and conventions recognize the right of persons 
        belonging to national minorities to establish their own educational 
        institutions within the framework of and in conformity with the 
        legislation of the state within which they live;
Whereas levels of admissions of ethnic Albanian citizens of the Former Yugoslav 
        Republic of Macedonia to the Universities at Skopje and Bitola are far 
        below the 23 percent of Macedonia's population that is composed of 
        ethnic Albanians;
Whereas higher education for ethnic Albanian citizens of Macedonia is made more 
        difficult by the lack of general usage of the Albanian language at that 
        level of instruction;
Whereas there are increasing reports that ethnic Albanian citizens of Macedonia 
        are concerned that efforts to ensure access to higher education in the 
        Albanian language have met with little success;
Whereas an application was filed with the Ministry of Education of the Former 
        Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in October 1994 seeking permission to 
        open an Albanian-language university as part of the established system 
        of education;
Whereas, in the absence of a response to the application filed with the Ministry 
        of Education of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in October 
        1994, attempts were made in December 1994 to begin university classes in 
        the Albanian language at Tetovo, Macedonia and were prevented by the 
        intervention of police forces; and
Whereas in February 1995 renewed attempts to open an Albanian-language 
        university at Tetovo, Macedonia were again prevented by police forces, 
        with the death of one ethnic Albanian citizen of Macedonia and the 
        wounding of 28 other persons occurring as a result of the related 
        violence: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
        Macedonia should take all appropriate measures to ensure the 
        fair and equitable treatment of all of its citizens, regardless 
        of ethnic background;
            (2) while steps taken by the Government of the Former 
        Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to ensure instruction in the 
        Albanian language and the language of other national minorities 
        in Macedonia at the primary and secondary levels of education 
        and the adoption of a law permitting Albanian language 
        instruction at the University of Skopje are commendable, the 
        ethnic Albanian citizens of Macedonia continue to suffer from 
        the lack of opportunity for higher education in their native 
        language;
            (3) the Government and Parliament of the Former Yugoslav 
        Republic of Macedonia should therefore consider all means by 
        which higher education conducted in the Albanian language can 
        be provided, including the establishment of an Albanian-
        language university;
            (4) the efforts by the High Commissioner for National 
        Minorities of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe, the Council of Europe, and the Working Group on Ethnic 
        Minorities of the International Conference on the Former 
        Yugoslavia, to offer guidance and mediation to the Government 
        of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 
        representatives of the Albanian minority in resolving the issue 
        of higher education in the Albanian language, are commendable;
            (5) the President should express to the Government of the 
        Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the strong support of the 
        Government of the United States for measures that will 
        contribute to democracy and stability in the Former Yugoslav 
        Republic of Macedonia, including efforts to ensure access to 
        higher education in the Albanian language;
            (6) the President should offer appropriate support for the 
        efforts of the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the 
        Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe to resolve 
        the issue of access to higher education in the Albanian 
        language; and
            (7) the President should offer appropriate support for 
        efforts by the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
        Macedonia to ensure access to higher education in the Albanian 
        language, including assistance for the establishment of 
        necessary curricula and the provision of textbooks and related 
        course materials.
                                 <all>