[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 113 (Monday, July 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8629-H8633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1530
            SUPPORTING A RESOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN KOSOVA

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 155) concerning human and 
political rights and in support of a resolution of the crisis in 
Kosova, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 155

       Whereas the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic 
     of Yugoslavia, adopted in 1946 and the amended Yugoslav 
     Constitution adopted in 1974, described the status of Kosova 
     as one of the 8 constituent territorial units of the Yugoslav 
     Federation;
       Whereas the political rights of the Albanian majority in 
     Kosova were curtailed when

[[Page H8630]]

     the Government of Yugoslavia illegally amended the Yugoslav 
     federal constitution without the consent of the people of 
     Kosova on March 23, 1989, revoking Kosova's autonomous 
     status;
       Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova 
     were abolished by further unlawful amendments to the 
     Constitution of Yugoslavia;
       Whereas in September 1990, a referendum on the question of 
     independence for Kosova was held in which 87 percent of those 
     eligible to participate voted and 99 percent of those voting 
     supported independence for Kosova;
       Whereas in May 1992, a Kosovar national parliament and 
     President, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, were freely and fairly 
     elected, but were not permitted to assemble in Kosova;
       Whereas according to the State Department Country Reports 
     on Human Rights for 1995, ``police repression continued at a 
     high level against the ethnic Albanians of Kosova . . . and 
     reflected a general campaign to keep [those] who are not 
     ethnic Serbs intimidated and unable to exercise basic human 
     and civil rights'';
       Whereas over 100,000 ethnic Albanians employed in the 
     public sector have been removed from their jobs and replaced 
     by Serbs since 1989;
       Whereas the government in Belgrade has severely restricted 
     the access of ethnic Albanians in Kosova to all levels of 
     education, especially in the Albanian language;
       Whereas the Organization on Security and Cooperation in 
     Europe observers dispatched to Kosova in 1991 were expelled 
     by the government in Belgrade in July 1993, and have not been 
     reinstated as called for in United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 855 of August 1993;
       Whereas following the departure of such observers, 
     international human rights organizations have documented an 
     increase in abuses;
       Whereas the United Nations announced on February 27, 1995, 
     that Serbia had granted it permission to open a Belgrade 
     office to monitor human rights in Serbia and Kosova;
       Whereas Congress directed the State Department to establish 
     a United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) cultural center 
     in Prishtina, Kosova, in section 223 of the Foreign Relations 
     Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993;
       Whereas Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced on 
     February 27, 1996, that Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic has 
     agreed to the establishment of such center and that 
     preparations for the establishment of the center are 
     proceeding;
       Whereas, with the signing of the Dayton agreement on 
     Bosnia, future peace in the Balkans hinges largely on a 
     settlement of the status of Kosova; and
       Whereas the President has explicitly warned the Government 
     of Serbia that the United States is prepared to respond in 
     the event of escalated conflict in Kosova caused by Serbia: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) the situation in Kosova must be resolved before the 
     outer wall of sanctions against Serbia is lifted and Serbia 
     is able to return to the international community;
       (2) the human rights of the people of Kosova must be 
     restored to levels guaranteed by international law;
       (3) the United States should support the legitimate claims 
     of the people of Kosova to determine their own political 
     future;
       (4) international observers should be returned to Kosova as 
     soon as possible;
       (5) the elected government of Kosova should be permitted to 
     meet and exercise its legitimate mandate as elected 
     representatives of the people of Kosova;
       (6) all individuals whose employment was terminated on the 
     basis of their ethnicity should be reinstated to their 
     previous positions;
       (7) the education system in Kosova should be reopened to 
     all residents of Kosova regardless of ethnicity and the 
     majority ethnic Albanian population should be allowed to 
     educate its youth in its native tongue;
       (8) the establishment of a United States Information Agency 
     cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova, is to be commended; and
       (9) the President should appoint a special envoy to aid in 
     negotiating a resolution to the crisis in Kosova.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Calvert). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] and the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Engel] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter].
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 155 notes our 
continuing concern about the situation in Kosova and its Albanian 
majority. As we have focused most of our attention on Bosnia, the 
people of Kosova have suffered under unlawful amendments to their 
Yugoslav constitution, police repression, employment discrimination, 
restricted education, expulsion of international observers and more.
  Indeed, many believe the seeds of the conflict that erupted in the 
former Yugoslavia were sown in Kosova.
  I hope all Members will join in sending a message to the Kosovan 
people that we have not forgotten them and that the United States 
Congress will continue to press for restoration of their civil and 
political rights. Let us adopt this resolution today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is my honor and pleasure to speak in favor of House Concurrent 
Resolution 155, which is a resolution which I have authored. I have 
spent many, many years in this Congress bringing forth the case of the 
Albanian people in Kosova before this Congress, and I am delighted to 
see this resolution on the floor.
  I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Nebraska, Mr. 
Bereuter, as well as the gentleman from New York, Chairman Gilman, and 
also the gentleman from New Jersey, Chairman Chris Smith, who has 
played a major role, a very, very helpful role, in bringing forward the 
terrible human rights violations so that this Congress understands 
that.
  I also want to thank the cosponsors of the bill, the people who have 
agreed to sponsor the bill with me, the gentlewoman from New York [Ms. 
Molinari], the gentleman from California [Mr. Lantos], the gentleman 
from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin], 
the gentleman from New York [Mr. King], the gentleman from New Jersey 
[Mr. Torricelli], the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran], the 
gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Kelly], the gentleman from Michigan 
[Mr. Bonior], the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], and the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher]. I want to thank them all 
for their support as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I have recently, just last week, come back from a trip 
to Kosova where I had the honor of cutting the ribbon and hoisting the 
American flag at the opening of the new USIA office in Prishtina, which 
is the capital of Kosova. I can tell my colleagues that, as we hoisted 
the American flag in our new office, there were throngs of people 
across the street chanting USA, USA, and free Kosova, free Kosova.
  Indeed, the human rights violations in that region of the world are 
nonexistent. Let me say a little about Kosova. Kosova is an area 
contained in what is now Serbia, former Yugoslavia, which contains at 
least 90 percent ethnic Albanians. These ethnic Albanians have no 
political or civil rights whatsoever. The situation there is very bleak 
and grim and seems to be getting worse, not better.
  I have often said that, if we allow the incidents in Kosova to remain 
unchecked, Bosnia would be a tea party compared with what might happen 
to the people in Kosova, because the nationalism there is just as 
terrible as it was in Bosnia. With the repression of the Albanian 
majority, I shudder to think what might happen if the United States 
might turn the other way.
  House Concurrent Resolution 155 simply says that the outer wall of 
sanctions shall remain in place against Serbia until there are 
improvements in the human rights situation in Kosova. The outer wall of 
sanctions prevents Serbia from joining certain international 
organizations, including monetary organizations, which they are eager 
to join.
  I must say that in visiting Kosova I also visited Belgrade, the 
capital of Serbia, and met with Serbian President Milosevic and made it 
clear to him as well that the United States was not prepared to lift 
the outer wall of sanctions until we saw substantial improvement in the 
human rights situations in Kosova. I relayed this to the Serbian 
authorities in Kosova as well.
  The resolution also demands the restoration of all human and 
political rights in Kosova. I must say that the Albanian Parliament 
there was elected more than 4 years ago and was never allowed to meet, 
under threat of jail and repression. None of its leaders were allowed 
to meet. The 4 years have come and gone, and, as a result, they have 
never met and have no political rights.
  It also commends the opening of the United States Information Agency 
office. This is a small step but a step in

[[Page H8631]]

the right direction. I have often said that we need to have an American 
presence on the ground in Kosova with the American flag flying. It 
sends very important messages to two parties, one to the ethnic 
Albanians there, again comprising over 90 percent of the population. It 
tells them this United States has not abandoned them, that the United 
States stands by them, that the United States will continue to monitor 
the situation and that we will not tolerate lack of human rights for 
all peoples in Kosova.
  It also sends a very important message to the Serb Government, 
particularly Serb President Milosevic. It says to him again that the 
United States is engaged; the United States is watching; that the 
United States will not tolerate the abuses, human rights abuses of the 
majority in Kosova.
  So I believe it sends a very, very important message. It is also 
significant, the fact that, since we are closing consulates and closing 
offices around the world due to budgetary constraints, here is the one 
place where we are opening an office. So it further emphasizes the 
United States concern with the lack of human rights in Kosova.

  As my friend from Nebraska said, there was an expulsion of 
international observers again by the Serbs, so we do not have 
international observers observing the human rights situation in Kosova. 
So the United States Information Agency office is all the more 
important, and we must have international observers back as soon as 
possible.
  The resolution also and very importantly says that the President 
ought to send a presidential envoy to help mediate the situation there 
between the Albanians and the Serbs. We have seen in other parts of the 
world, notably Northern Ireland, where a United states envoy was 
appointed. We have seen in Bosnia, for instance, where, with United 
States envoys, the United States is involved, and the United States 
grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak to prevent further atrocities 
from happening.
  I believe very strongly, and this resolution says very strongly, that 
the United States envoy there would be very, very important. On the 
appointment of a presidential envoy, I raised this with Mr. Milosevic 
the other week in Belgrade. While he rejected it and said it would be 
meddling in Serbian internal affairs, I believe that it is something 
that we should continue to pursue and something that we should do.
  Now, let us talk about the lack of freedoms that the Albanians have 
in Kosova. They are constantly harassed by Serbian police and the 
Serbian presence. There is 80 percent and higher unemployment amongst 
the Albanian population because there has been wholesale firings and 
expulsion of Albanian workers in hospitals, in universities, in 
schools.
  So the Albanian population has no hope of getting jobs or being 
employed. I have said to the Serbian authorities when they talked about 
wanton actions of terror, I said I was absolutely opposed to terror; 
but I thought despair breeds terror, and right now the Albanian 
population is in despair. They are in despair because there is no hope 
for the future with the situation just the way it is.
  With our European allies recognizing Serbia, many of the Kosovars 
feel even more abandoned. So the United States is the one country in 
the world that holds the promise of opportunity to them so that they 
know that the United States has not abandoned them. That is why when 
they were yelling USA, USA, those American flags were being flown. They 
were waving American flags and handing me and other members of our 
delegation flowers. It was really something to behold.
  The Albanian language is repressed. Albanian schools are repressed. 
Albanian health facilities are repressed, so basic health care cannot 
be gotten by the average Albanian. And again this Congress has 
provided, other Congresses have provided $6 million of humanitarian 
assistance to Kosova. I saw firsthand on the ground what our American 
dollars are doing so that mothers who have never had any kind of health 
care whatsoever can go to these clinics, helped in large part by 
American funds and governmental funds and private donations so that 
these women can have their babies in clean surroundings for the first 
time attended to by medical doctors.
  Again, these Albanian doctors who have been fired from their jobs are 
all volunteering and have a tremendous spirit of all for one and one 
for all.
  So this resolution, I believe, goes a long way in sending a very, 
very important message in that area of the world, both to the 
Albanians, who are repressed by the Serbian authorities, and to the 
Serbs and Mr. Milosevic that the United States again is engaged and the 
United States says the sanctions will not end until there are human 
rights improvements and we demand the restoration of all human and 
political rights.
  Mr. Speaker, I think that this Congress ought to be commended. In 
some of our other legislation we passed similar legislation involving 
the points of House Concurrent Resolution 155, but this is the first 
time that we are actually having a freestanding resolution. For that, I 
think that the Committee on International Relations, the gentleman from 
New York, Chairman Gilman, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], 
and others are to be commended.
  I think that this Congress is about to be commended because the 
United States again is looked upon as a champion of freedom by so many 
people in the world, but certainly by the ethnic Albanians in Kosova. 
They know that the United States is the champion of freedom. This 
little small effort says to them we have not abandoned you, we will not 
forget you, we will be there until all human and political rights are 
restored in Kosova.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record documents relating to this 
topic.


                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                    Washington, DC, July 19, 1996.
     Hon. Eliot Engel,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Engel: Thank you for your June 11 letter to 
     President Clinton regarding the situation in Kosovo. The 
     State Department has been asked to respond on his behalf.
       We appreciate and are gratified by your comments concerning 
     the Administration's deep engagement in the search for a 
     peaceful, equitable solution in Kosovo. Like you, the 
     Administration is fully committed to ensuring that all the 
     people of Kosovo have the ability to participate fully in the 
     life of the region.
       Early in his term, President Clinton reaffirmed President 
     Bush's ``Christmas Warning'' of a military response to Serb-
     instigated violence in Kosovo. Likewise, a key requirement 
     for lifting the ``Outer Wall'' of sanctions is progress 
     towards resolving the situation in Kosovo. These sanctions 
     apply to membership in the United Nations and other 
     international organizations; normalization of our bilateral 
     relations; and membership in the World Bank, International 
     Monetary Fund and other International Financial Institutions. 
     Milosevic is very eager to overcome these sanctions and we 
     have left him with no doubts how to do so.
       While we share your concern regarding the situation in 
     Kosovo, we do not believe that there is a need for a special 
     envoy to deal solely with this issue. Assistant Secretary 
     John Kornblum, who leads our efforts in the former 
     Yugoslavia, has made Kosovo a priority. He meets frequently 
     with President Milosevic and always makes clear that there 
     must be progress on Kosovo if the ``FRY'' is to emerge from 
     the shadow of the Outer Wall. In fact, every high 
     Administration official who has met with Milosevic has 
     insisted on the need to act on Kosovo.
       In addition to continuing pressure on the Belgrade 
     authorities, Secretary Christopher and Ambassador Kornblum 
     have met with Dr. Rugova and other LDK leaders on several 
     occasions. It is our hope that these contacts will lead to 
     serious talks between the parties on the future of Kosovo. We 
     are hopeful that both sides will soon be prepared to sit down 
     and discuss a peaceful solution to the situation in Kosovo.
           Sincerely,

                                               Barbara Larkin,

                                       Acting Assistant Secretary,
     Legislative Affairs.
                                                                    ____



                                      House of Representatives

                                    Washington, DC, June 11, 1996.
     The President,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: We would like to express our 
     appreciation for the steps your administration has taken to 
     encourage an equitable resolution to the crisis in Kosova, 
     including high level diplomatic meetings with President 
     Ibrahim Rugova and progress toward the establishment of a 
     USIA office in Prishtina.
       Unfortunately, in recent weeks the situation in Kosova has 
     deteriorated, with tensions rising significantly following 
     the deaths of two young Albanians. Moreover, Kosovars feel 
     increasingly slighted because the United States and the 
     international community did not place their very legitimate 
     claims on the agenda during the talks in

[[Page H8632]]

     Dayton and have not yet appeared to make Kosova a priority.
       We believe that the time has come to afford the situation 
     in Kosova the attention it deserves. This means that the 
     United States must give the highest level of attention to 
     Kosova right now to prevent the situation there from 
     worsening even more.
       We, therefore, strongly urge you to appoint a special envoy 
     to help negotiate a settlement of the Kosova crisis.
       Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
         Members of Congress Eliot L. Engel, Tom Lantos, Susan 
           Molinari, John E. Porter, Sander M. Levin, Eva M. 
           Clayton, Sue Kelly, James P. Moran, David E. Bonior, 
           Peter T. King, Martin R. Hoke, Nita M. Lowey, Donald M. 
           Payne, George Miller, Edolphus Towns, Jose E. Serrano, 
           Robert G. Torricelli, Dana Rohrabacher, John W. Olver, 
           Charles E. Schumer.
                                                                    ____


               [From the Washington Post, July 21, 1996]

                Kosova's Albanians Look to U.S. for Help


              American Office Opened in Serb-Ruled Region

                           (By Michael Dobbs)

       Prishtina, Yugoslavia.--Ibrahim Rugova, an ethnic Albanian, 
     says he is the duly elected president of Kosova--even though 
     it is a Serbian province whose official leaders are appointed 
     by authorities in Belgrade. Nonsense, insists Aleksa Jokic, a 
     Serb, who recently was appointed governor of Kosova--even 
     though its population is overwhelmingly Albanian.
       Today, the two men stood on either side of a U.S. 
     congressman from the Bronx, as the Stars and Stripes rose 
     over the new U.S. information center here in Kosova's 
     capital. Rugova was smiling. Jokic grimaced as a crowd of a 
     hundred or so Albanians changed ``Free Kosova,'' ``Rugova'' 
     and ``USA, USA.'' The two rivals shook hands gingerly but did 
     not exchange a word.
       ``This is diplomacy at its best,'' murmured Larry Butler, 
     charge d'affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, after 
     declaring the first representative office of a foreign power 
     in Prishtina open for business. ``You can't imagine how 
     awkward this occasion is for some people here.''
       The scene outside the U.S. information center in this 
     sprawling, dirt-poor town illustrated the complexities of 
     politics in this part of the world and the influence the 
     United States is capable of wielding, when it chooses to do 
     so. Along with Bosnia and Macedonia, Kosovo is one of those 
     proverbial Balkan tinderboxes that only attract the world's 
     attention when there is an almighty explosion. Ninety percent 
     of Kosovo's 2 million people are Albanian. Historically and 
     culturally, however, the region is the cradle of Serbdom.
       It was here, in the year 1389, that Serbia's most potent 
     historical image was born, when the Serb Prince Lazar was 
     slain by his Turkish enemies on the Field of Blackbirds, just 
     outside Pristina. For the next 600 years, including more than 
     four centuries of Ottoman rule, Serb children were brought up 
     to avenge Lazar's defeat.
       Accordingly, it was here too that Serbian President 
     Slobodan Milosevic began his ascent to power in 1986, when he 
     unleashed the demons of nationalism by promising to defend 
     the rights of the beleaguered Serb minority in Kosovo. In 
     fact, human rights monitors say it is the minority that is 
     oppressing the majority. Over the past five years, more than 
     125,000 ethnic Albanians have been dismissed from their jobs 
     and deprived of access to state-run health services. Many 
     factories have closed, and there is virtually no investment. 
     Western aid workers in Pristina say Albanians are frightened 
     to open businesses of any significant size, because they fear 
     expropriation by the Serbian authorities.
       Kosovo's predominantly Muslim Albanians dream of the day 
     when they will shake off Serbian rule and unite with Albania. 
     In the meantime, their leaders have embarked on a policy of 
     total noncooperation with Belgrade. They boycott Serb-run 
     elections, organize their own schools, universities and 
     medical services, and publish their own newspapers. Rugova 
     heads a shadow government that boasts its own parliament and 
     taxation service.
       Key to Rugova's strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience 
     is the support of the outside world. When West European 
     governments extended full diplomatic recognition earlier this 
     year to Yugoslavia--of which Serbia is the dominant 
     republic--many Kosovo Albanians felt abandoned. The United 
     States is the only major country that still refuses to send 
     an ambassador to Belgrade, as long as human rights abuses 
     continue in Kosovo.
       The Kosovo cause has been kept alive in Washington by a 
     small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-
     N.Y.), whose constituents include 20,000 ethnic Albanians 
     living in the Bronx. Engel, who was on hand for today's 
     ceremonies in Pristina, will sponsor a resolution in the 
     House of Representatives next week urging the Clinton 
     administration to appoint a special envoy to Kosovo to 
     negotiate a settlement between the rival sides.
       ``Human rights violations here are getting worse, not 
     better,'' said Engel, citing a series of recent arbitrary 
     police beatings and continuing dismissals of Albanian 
     workers. He said that the opening of the U.S. information 
     office, for which he lobbied hard, would send a message both 
     to Milosevic and to the Albanians that the United States had 
     ``not forgotten Kosovo.'' The two-story center contains 
     reference materials and computer terminals that visitors can 
     use to view CD-ROMs.
       Despite a generally tense atmosphere in Pristina and other 
     Albanian towns, the Serb police presence on the streets is 
     significantly less onerous than it was several years ago. 
     The Clinton administration, like the Bush administration 
     before it, has privately warned Milosevic that it will 
     react forcefully to any attempt by Yugoslavia to resolve 
     the Kosovo problem through ``ethnic cleansing,'' the 
     forced expulsion of non-Serbs. The result is a political 
     standoff, in which Serbs and Albanians are having little 
     to do with each other.
       At a meeting with Engel, Jokic brushed aside allegations of 
     human rights abuses and complained of a series of ``terrorist 
     acts'' by Albanians against the Serb police. He said that 
     over the last few months five Serb policemen have been killed 
     and two injured in Albanian attacks. He also criticized the 
     Albanians for refusing to take part in Serbian elections, 
     saying that they were depriving themselves of the ability to 
     influence the result.
       The United States, along with several European countries, 
     has linked relaxation of sanctions still being imposed 
     against Yugoslavia to a ``significant improvement'' in the 
     human rights situation in Kosovo. This ``outer wall'' of 
     sanctions includes membership of international financial 
     institutions and access to international credits. But there 
     is disagreement over precisely what is required of 
     Yugoslavia. Engel argues that the Serbs would have to offer 
     the Kosovo Albanians the right of self-determination. The 
     State Department has suggested that it would be satisfied 
     with some kind of autonomy for Kosovo.
       In their isolation, many Albanians have come to look upon 
     the United States as a mythic great power that will come to 
     their aid. Rugovo described the U.S. information center as 
     ``a direct link with the United States''--U.S. diplomats 
     point out that it is actually only an adjunct of the embassy 
     in Belgrade--and said that today was ``a historic day for 
     Kosovo.'' Albanian-language newspapers rarely mention that 
     Washington does not recognize Rugovo as president of Kosovo 
     and is opposed to the region's secession from Yugoslavia.
       ``The Albanians think that America is their only hope for 
     getting a republic, for getting independence,'' said Lisa 
     Adams, an American physician who has spent the past two years 
     in Kosovo running a medical assistance program. ``People want 
     to see this information center as a mini-embassy.''
       Jokic, the Serb provincial governor, sees things very 
     differently. He blames the West for Kosovo's economic plight, 
     arguing that sanctions have deprived the region of 
     investment. As for the chants of ``Free Kosovo,'' he shrugged 
     his shoulders. ``Kosovo is already free,'' he said. ``They 
     are saying what already exists.''

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel], for the leadership that he has 
shown on this issue. It has been extraordinarily important. He 
approaches these issues related to Albania, the former Yugoslavia 
Republic of Macedonia, and Kosova in a very responsible and enlightened 
fashion.
  I regret the fact he has left the Committee on International 
Relations for other responsibilities in the Congress, but we will 
continue to seek and receive, with gratitude, his outstanding efforts 
in advising us on this troubled part of the world.
  I think that the relationships between the country of Albania, the 
former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia and Kosova are very much 
related in the southern Balkan region. The relationships between 
Albania and the United States are improving rather dramatically. I 
think we now have that opportunity with the former Yugoslavia Republic 
of Macedonia.
  Now we have to focus once more and indeed with additional emphasis, I 
think, on the abuses that exist toward the Albanian majority in Kosova. 
Former Members of Congress and Members of Congress have to approach 
this issue in a very responsible fashion. We have unfortunately, the 
opportunity also not to do just good and to do what is important in our 
national interest, but to do things which are provocative and 
unfortunate.
  The gentleman from New York leads the way in an enlightened 
responsible approach toward our relationship to Serbia with respect to 
Kosova and the Albanian majority that exists there. What we do in this 
Congress and what we do outside of this Congress is very important in 
restoring stability in that part of the world, and that is very 
crucial, or we may find that we have a

[[Page H8633]]

deep problem within the NATO alliance.
  So I commend once more my colleague for his leadership and look 
forward to additional examples of it in this and other areas.
  Mr. GILMAN. This concurrent resolution of the House concerns the 
deplorable human rights situation in Kosova, a formerly autonomous 
republic of the former Yugoslavia. Its autonomous status under the 
consideration of the former Yugoslavia was revoked by Serbian President 
Milosevic in 1989, and many cite this action by Serbia as the beginning 
of the conflict which was to consume most of the former Yugoslavia in 
the years 1991-95. I commend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] 
for introducing this resolution, and I am proud to be listed as a 
cosponsor.
  Many in the Congress, myself included, feel that it was a mistake to 
lift the sanctions against Serbia without linking this action with the 
situation in Kosova. The prospect for peace in Bosnia has raised hopes 
all over the region.
  However, the people in Kosova do not feel that hope. For them the 
lesson of Bosnia is that violence is a way to win concessions from the 
international community. They see the Serbs in Bosnia rewarded for 
their aggression by the creation of the so-called Republic of Srbska. 
What is the international community to say to the long-suffering people 
of Kosova who have seen their autonomy trampled upon by the Serbian 
authorities, the loss of their civic institutions and the denial of 
their most basic rights?
  Earlier this month the United States Information Agency opened an 
office in Pristina, Kosova. This will allow for a permanent American 
presence in the Republic to monitor human rights and the overall 
situation. As with USIA offices in other parts of the world that have 
been deprived of fundamental freedoms, this office will also provide a 
window to a better and fairer system.
  The Congress included authorization to open this office in the State 
Department's fiscal year 1994 and 1996-97 authorization bills adopted 
by this House. While I commend the administration for finally acting on 
this expression of congressional intent, it should note the Congress' 
strong opposition to a further easing of sanctions on Serbia until the 
situation in Kosova is addressed and resolved.
  This resolution will send a message of hope to the people of Kosova, 
and a message to Serbia that the Congress is keeping the issue of 
Kosova under review. I also hope that it will serve to strengthen the 
administration's commitment to improving the human rights situation in 
Kosova. I urge all of my colleagues to join in adopting House 
Concurrent Resolution 155.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the original sponsors 
of this resolution to voice my strong support for House Concurrent 
Resolution 155 which expresses the sense of Congress on the situation 
in Kosova.
  In 1989, Belgrade unilaterally revoked the autonomous status of 
Kosova. Albanians in Kosova, who make up over 90 percent of the 
population, subsequently voted for Kosavar independence in 1991. Since 
that time, Serb security officials have waged a campaign of repression 
that has included widespread torture, beatings, killings, and 
harassment of Albanians throughout Kosova. Over half of the more than 
250,000 Albanians in the work force have been fired from their jobs and 
even more have fled the region rather than face certain persecution.
  While the administration has taken an active role, including opening 
of USIA office in Prishtina, more needs to be done. The administration 
needs to appoint a special envoy to Kosova to help resolve the crisis. 
Furthermore, the United States along with our European allies must 
condition the lifting of sanctions against Serbia with clear and 
concrete progress on the matter of Kosova.
  By appointing a full time envoy and linking the lifting of sanctions 
on Serbia with the restoration of the full spectrum of human and 
political rights to the people of Kosova, the United States can help to 
broker a peaceful and lasting resolution to the matter. To not to do 
so, would be to invite the situation to escalate into a new, even wider 
conflict in the Balkans. Thereby ending our best chance for peace in 
the Balkan region.
  The resolution presents an effective policy for accomplishing these 
goals. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution and send 
a clear statement in support of the rights of the people of Kosova.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
155, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________