[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 965 Engrossed in House (EH)]








H. Res. 965

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 25, 2006.
Whereas the Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro 
        established provisions and procedures for withdrawal of a member state 
        from the State Union, providing that a decision to withdraw ``shall be 
        made after a referendum has been held'';
Whereas, in accordance with Article 60 of the Constitutional Charter of the 
        State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, the Parliament of Montenegro 
        unanimously adopted in March 2006 the Law on the Referendum on the State 
        Legal Status of the Republic of Montenegro, which established the 
        conditions for the conduct of the referendum on state independence, 
        including establishing the standard that 55 percent of voters must 
        support independence to achieve a valid mandate;
Whereas the people of Montenegro in a popular referendum on May 21, 2006, voted 
        to support the sovereign independence of the Republic of Montenegro from 
        the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro by a margin of 55.5 percent in 
        favor of independence with over 86 percent of eligible voters 
        participating in the referendum;
Whereas, in accordance with the expressed will of a majority of the people of 
        Montenegro, on June 3, 2006, the Parliament of Montenegro declared the 
        independence of Montenegro, declaring that the Republic is a 
        ``multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society . . . based on 
        the rule of law and market economy'';
Whereas countries and international organizations throughout the world, 
        including the United States and the European Union, have formally 
        recognized Montenegro as an independent state and are establishing 
        diplomatic relations with Montenegro;
Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said as she announced that the 
        United States formally recognized the sovereignty and independence of 
        the Republic of Montenegro that ``the honor of being counted among the 
        free and independent states of the world brings with it the challenge of 
        protecting and advancing the freedom, rights, and prosperity of all the 
        people of Montenegro, and the responsibility to make a positive 
        contribution to the community of nations'';
Whereas on June 28, 2006, Montenegro was welcomed as the 192nd member of the 
        United Nations, on which occasion, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi 
        Annan said: ``In achieving its independence through a non-violent and 
        democratic process, conducted in a fair and open way, Montenegro showed 
        the entire world not only its patience, but its political maturity.''; 
        and
Whereas the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro have acted 
        responsibly in their bilateral relationship following the decision of 
        the Montenegrin people to withdraw from the State Union of Serbia and 
        Montenegro: on June 15, 2006, Serbia recognized the independence of 
        Montenegro, the two countries have established formal diplomatic 
        relations, and the President of Serbia was the first foreign head of 
        state to pay an official visit to Montenegro: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the people and the Government of the Republic of 
        Montenegro for the free, fair, and responsible way in which the 
        referendum on independence was conducted and acknowledges the broad 
        participation of the citizens of Montenegro in that important vote;
            (2) congratulates the people of Montenegro on their decision to 
        establish an independent and sovereign state and welcomes them to the 
        community of nations, to membership in the United Nations, to full 
        participation in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
        (OSCE), and to membership in other international organizations;
            (3) welcomes the decision of the United States to recognize the 
        sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Montenegro and urges the 
        expeditious establishment of diplomatic relations between our two 
        countries; and
            (4) urges the people and Government of Montenegro to continue to 
        embrace the principles of democratic government and to take actions that 
        will encourage respect for human rights, for a free market economy, and 
        for a free, open and democratic society with full respect for all people 
        of Montenegro.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.