110 HRES 1198 IH: Commending the people of the Montenegro on U.S. House of Representatives 2008-05-14 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1198 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 14, 2008 Mr. Gallegly (for himself and Mr. Wexler) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commending the people of the Montenegro on holding free and fair presidential elections on April 6, 2008, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s decision at the Bucharest Summit to invite Montenegro to enter into an Intensified Dialogue, and the reforms and progress undertaken by Montenegro since its declaration of independence.

Whereas the election of the President of Montenegro was held on April 6, 2008; Whereas this was the first presidential election since Montenegro gained its independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006; Whereas the incumbent, President Filip Vujanovic, was re-elected in a free and fair election and in accordance with international standards; Whereas the conduct of these elections provide further evidence that the people of Montenegro are building a democratic society based on free elections, human rights, and the rule of law; Whereas Montenegro is one of 56 participating states in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), all of which have adopted the 1990 Copenhagen Document containing specific commitments relating to the conduct of elections; Whereas the OSCE-led International Observation Mission deemed the election to be basically in accordance with the 1990 Copenhagen Document and respected the fundamental and civil rights, such as freedom of expression and assembly, allowing voters to make informed choices; Whereas democratic elections are instrumental in furthering Montenegro’s integration into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Whereas Montenegro was invited to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace program on November 30, 2006, and has successfully cooperated with NATO on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms; Whereas at the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, from April 2–4, 2008, Montenegro was invited to begin an Intensified Dialogue with NATO, representing an important step towards full membership; Whereas Montenegro, as part of its Intensified Dialogue with NATO, has committed to improving its cooperation with NATO on the full range of political, military, financial, and security issues relating to its aspirations for membership; Whereas the people of Montenegro in a popular referendum on May 21, 2006, voted to support the sovereign independence 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 Montenegro is a “multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society . . . based on the rule of law and market economy”; Whereas since gaining its independence, Montenegro has undertaken a series of political, economic, and military reforms; Whereas earlier this year the Council of Europe commended Montenegro on its new constitution which was approved by more than two-thirds of the members of the Parliament of Montenegro on October 19, 2007; Whereas, on March 15, 2007, in recognition of the important reforms achieved by Montenegro in the area of human rights, political reform, and economic reform, the European Union initialed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Montenegro; Whereas, on October 15, 2007, the European Union and Montenegro signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement after it was approved by all 27 EU Member States, thereby furthering Montenegro’s prospects for full membership in the EU; and Whereas the United States and Montenegro enjoy close bi-lateral relationship based on common values and interests: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)commends the people and the Government of Montenegro for the free and fair manner in which the presidential election on April 6, 2008, was conducted and acknowledges the broad participation of the citizens of Montenegro in that important vote; (2)fully supports the decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to initiate an Intensified Dialogue with Montenegro and congratulates Montenegro for this important step towards becoming a member of NATO; (3)congratulates Montenegro for the important political and economic reforms undertaken since its independence; (4)commends Montenegro’s willingness and preparedness to contribute to regional and global security; and (5)acknowledges and welcomes the close bilateral relationship between the United States and Montenegro and urges the people and the Government of Montenegro to continue to embrace the principles of democratic government and to take actions that will encourage respect for human rights, adherence to the rule of law, the development of a free market economy, and the growth of a free and open society.