[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 272 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 272

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should remain 
  actively engaged in southeastern Europe to promote long-term peace, 
  stability, and prosperity; continue to vigorously oppose the brutal 
   regime of Slobodan Milosevic while supporting the efforts of the 
     democratic opposition; and fully implement the Stability Pact.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 9, 2000

Mr. Voinovich submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should remain 
  actively engaged in southeastern Europe to promote long-term peace, 
  stability, and prosperity; continue to vigorously oppose the brutal 
   regime of Slobodan Milosevic while supporting the efforts of the 
     democratic opposition; and fully implement the Stability Pact.

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) March 24, 1999 through 
        June 10, 1999 bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia focused the 
        attention of the international community on southeastern Europe;
Whereas the international community, in particular the United States and the 
        European Union, made a commitment at the conclusion of the bombing 
        campaign to integrate southeastern Europe into the broader European 
        community;
Whereas there is an historic opportunity for the international community to help 
        the people of southeastern Europe break the cycle of violence, 
        retribution, and revenge and move towards respect for minority rights, 
        establishment of the rule of law, and the further development of 
        democratic governments;
Whereas the Stability Pact was established in July 1999 with the goal of 
        promoting cooperation among the countries of southeastern Europe, with a 
        focus on long-term political stability and peace, security, 
        democratization, and economic reconstruction and development;
Whereas the effective implementation of the Stability Pact is important to the 
        long-term peace and stability in the region;
Whereas the people and Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
        have a positive record of respect for minority rights, the rule of law, 
        and democratic traditions since independence;
Whereas the people of Croatia have recently elected leaders that respect 
        minority rights, the rule of law, and democratic traditions;
Whereas positive developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 
        the Republic of Croatia will clearly indicate to the people of Serbia 
        that economic progress and integration into the international community 
        is only possible if Milosevic is removed from power; and
Whereas the Republic of Slovenia continues to serve as a model for the region as 
        it moves closer to European Union and NATO membership: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) welcomes the tide of democratic change in southeastern 
        Europe, particularly the free and fair elections in Croatia, 
        and the regional cooperation taking place under the umbrella of 
        the Stability Pact;
            (2) recognizes that in this trend, the regime of Slobodan 
        Milosevic is ever more an anomaly, the only government in the 
        region not democratically elected, and an obstacle to peace and 
        neighborly relations in the region;
            (3) expresses its sense that the United States cannot have 
        normal relations with Belgrade as long as the Milosevic regime 
        is in power;
            (4) views Slobodan Milosevic as a brutal indicted war 
        criminal, responsible for immeasurable bloodshed, ethnic 
        hatred, and human rights abuses in southeastern Europe in 
        recent years;
            (5) considers international sanctions an essential tool to 
        isolate the Milosevic regime and promote democracy, and urges 
        the Administration to intensify, focus, and expand those 
        sanctions that most effectively target the regime and its key 
        supporters;
            (6) supports strongly the efforts of the Serbian people to 
        establish a democratic government and endorses their call for 
        early, free, and fair elections;
            (7) looks forward to establishing a normal relationship 
        with a new democratic government in Serbia, which will permit 
        an end to Belgrade's isolation and the opportunity to restore 
        the historically friendly relations between the Serbian and 
        American people;
            (8) expresses the readiness of the Senate, once there is a 
        democratic government in Serbia, to review conditions for 
        Serbia's full reintegration into the international community;
            (9) expresses its readiness to assist a future democratic 
        government in Serbia to build a democratic, peaceful, and 
        prosperous society, based on the same principle of respect for 
        international obligations, as set out by the Organization for 
        Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United 
        Nations, which guide the relations of the United States with 
        other countries in southeastern Europe;
            (10) calls upon the United States and other Western 
        democracies to publicly announce and demonstrate to the Serbian 
        people the magnitude of assistance they could expect after 
        democratization; and
            (11) recognizes the progress in democratic and market 
        reform made by Montenegro, which can serve as a model for 
        Serbia, and urges a peaceful resolution of political 
        differences over the abrogation of Montenegro's rights under 
        the federal constitution.
                                 <all>