[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 121 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7319-H7321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMENDING THE MONTENEGRIN PEOPLE ON THE REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 965) commending the people of Montenegro on the
conduct of the referendum on independence, welcoming United States
recognition of the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of
Montenegro, and welcoming Montenegrin membership in the United Nations
and other international organizations.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 965
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'';
[[Page H7320]]
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Poe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 965. This resolution was
introduced by the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
H. Res. 965 commends the people of Montenegro for conducting their
referendum on independence and welcomes the sovereignty and
independence of the Republic of Montenegro.
Madam Speaker, the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formally
ceased to exist in February of 2003, when the Serbian and Montenegro
Parliaments and the Yugoslav Federal Parliament adopted a
constitutional charter creating the state union of Serbia and
Montenegro. This constitutional charter of the State Union of Serbia
and Montenegro established provisions and procedures for the withdrawal
of a member state from the State Union, including that a decision to
withdraw from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro shall be made
after a referendum has been held.
{time} 2015
In accordance with this constitutional charter, the parliament of
Montenegro unanimously adopted, in March of 2006, the law on the
referendum on the state legal status of the Republic of Montenegro
which established the conditions for conducting the referendum on this
state independence.
On May 21, 2006, the people of Montenegro conducted the referendum on
independence and voted in favor of independence by a margin of 55\1/2\
percent, with over 86 percent of all eligible voters participating in
the referendum.
And then on May 23rd, 2006, the U.N. Ambassador to Serbia Montenegro
congratulated the people of Montenegro for the peaceful, democratic and
transparent manner in which the referendum was carried out and stated
that the United States fully supports the Organization For Security and
Cooperation in Europe, referred to OSCE, and the assessment of the
election which determined that the referendum was conducted in line
with the OSCE and the Council of Europe commitments and other
international standards for a democratic electoral process.
On June 13, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that
the United States has formally recognized the Republic of Montenegro as
a sovereign and independent state, following the request of its
government and consistent with the provisions of the constitutional
charter which establishes the state union of Serbia and Montenegro.
It is important to state for the record that the government of the
Republic of Serbia has acted responsibly in accordance with the
commitments following the referendum of the Montenegrin people.
On June 5, 2006, the Serbian parliament accepted the independence of
Montenegro.
On June 15, 2006, the Serbian Government officially recognized the
independence of the Republic of Montenegro.
Over the course of the summer, Montenegro has become a member of the
United Nations and numerous international organizations and established
formal diplomatic relations with countries throughout this world.
Today, it is important that the United States House of
Representatives consider this resolution and recognize Montenegro's
historic achievement. Madam Speaker, this resolution congratulates the
people and government of Montenegro for conducting their free, fair and
responsible independence referendum, welcomes Montenegro as an
independent and sovereign state, and urges the people and government of
Montenegro to continue to embrace the principles of democratic
government, human rights and freedom.
I urge the adoption of this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution and yield myself such time as I might consume.
Madam Speaker, Montenegro is a place of great beauty, of rugged
mountains and a spectacular coast on the Adriatic Sea. Its people are
warm and friendly, and they have a fascinating history and culture. I
had the pleasure of visiting Montenegro on many occasions, and I find
it a truly delightful place.
The people of Montenegro are fiercely independent. During the five
centuries of Turkish dominance of the Balkans, from the late 1300s to
the late 1800s, Montenegro was never under Turkish rule, despite
repeated attempts of the Sultan to conquer the area.
At the end of World War I, an assembly of Montenegrin representatives
voted to unite Montenegro with Serbia. Shortly thereafter, it became
part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which later became
known as Yugoslavia.
When Marshal Tito established the Federation of Yugoslavia in 1945,
Montenegro was recognized as one of its constituent republics. In 1991,
the Yugoslav Federation began to disintegrate as its republics chose
independence.
For over a decade, Montenegro and Serbia continued as the Yugoslav
Federation. On May 21 of this year, the government of Montenegro held a
free, fair, and open referendum on the question of separating the
Republic of Montenegro from Serbia.
Madam Speaker, you will be pleased to note that some 86 percent of
the people of Montenegro participated in the referendum, and well over
half voted in favor of independence. On June 3, the Montenegrin
parliament declared the country's independence.
[[Page H7321]]
The United States recognized this status in June. The United Nations
General Assembly unanimously accepted Montenegro as the UN's 192nd
member at the end of June; and, on August 15, we established diplomatic
relations with Montenegro pursuant to an exchange of letters between
the Presidents of the United States and Montenegro.
Just 3 weeks ago, Montenegrins voted in their first general election
since gaining their independence. A coalition headed by Milo Djukanovic
took 40 seats, and it will lead the country's government.
Prime Minister Djukanovic has been the leading political figure in
the country over the past decade and a half. The vote that I just
referred to is important because the new parliament will draft the
constitution defining the newly independent country's goals and its
governmental structure.
Madam Speaker, this peaceful separation of Montenegro from Serbia is
truly historic. Montenegro has demonstrated its readiness to assume the
responsibilities of independence. As UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
said, ``In achieving its independence through a nonviolent and
democratic process conducted in a fair and open way, Montenegro showed
the entire world not only its patience but also its political
maturity.''
The government of Serbia also acted responsibly and maturely with
regard to the independence of Montenegro. Shortly after the parliament
of Montenegro declared its independence, the government of Serbia
formally recognized the country, established diplomatic relations with
Montenegro, and the President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, was the first
head of state to pay an official visit to Montenegro.
President Tadic was our guest here in Washington just this past week,
and I want to commend him for his very positive role in this singularly
civilized and peaceful evolution in the Balkans.
Throughout the history of the world, Madam Speaker, we have seen much
bloodshed and violence over similar situations. The peaceful, amicable
separation of Montenegro and Serbia, as the earlier peaceful separation
of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, have been exemplary, and all of
those countries deserve our recognition and praise.
The European Commission has announced that it will open talks on
closer ties between the European Union and Montenegro this month. We
look forward to welcoming Montenegro into full membership into the
European Union and into other international organizations. We also
express the hope that the government of Montenegro and its people will
continue to embrace the principles of democracy and particularly will
encourage a free and open and democratic society with full respect for
the human rights of all of its citizens.
Ethnic Albanians in Montenegro, with whom I have visited at length,
have faced many challenges in the past. But I look forward to this
newly independent state of Montenegro; and I hope it will remember its
tradition as a multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society
based on the rule of law. It has the responsibility of protecting the
freedom and human rights of all of its citizens.
Our resolution commends the people of Montenegro on the referendum on
independence, welcomes them to the community of nations and to
membership in the United Nations and welcomes the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the United States and Montenegro.
I strongly support this resolution, Madam Speaker, and I urge all of
my colleagues to do as well.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California
(Mr. Lantos) for his leadership in this resolution; and I ask for
adoption of the resolution.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, as one of the cosponsors, I
am pleased to rise in support of House Resolution 965. The people of
Montenegro deserve this commendation for the fair and orderly manner in
which they achieved independence. They also deserve commendation for
their patience. Many Montenegrin citizens wanted independence much
earlier, but they and their political leaders understood that following
a process marked by democratic norms and mutual agreement would only
add credibility to the result.
A significant number of Montenegrin citizens, I should add, did not
see a reason to break its ties in a state union with Serbia and voted
against independence in the May referendum. To their credit, they have
nevertheless accepted the result. Just last week, Montenegro held new
parliamentary elections which were favorably assessed by the OSCE,
indicating that the republic remains committed to democratic norms
where differences of opinion will be respected.
As noted in the text of the resolution, Serbian authorities and the
people of Serbia deserve some credit here as well. While many in Serbia
failed to understand why Montenegro felt a need to break with Serbia,
there was a willingness to work out differences and, since the May
referendum, to respect the results.
Things were not always so easy. As Chairman of the Helsinki
Commission, I recall holding hearings on Montenegro. At the time, this
republic posed the only genuine and effective internal opposition to
the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, and became his threatened next target
as a result. Montenegro became a haven for those displaced by the
Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts, which was very challenging given its own,
small yet ethnically diverse population. For some, it continues in that
role. Montenegro needed to assess its own role in the violent
disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, and to rebuild good relations
with its neighbors. It has done just that. The Commission has
maintained a dialogue with Montenegrin political leaders over the
years, held hearings on the situation in Montenegro, observed elections
there and most recently observed the referendum itself. Whatever
concerns have been expressed in this ongoing dialogue, we have had a
serious back and forth.
It is my hope that Montenegro, as the 56th participating State in the
OSCE, will remain committed to the path it has chosen, and remain
engaged with the Helsinki Commission on issues of common concern. Among
those issues, few are as important as trafficking in persons. This
criminal activity remains a widespread problem throughout southeastern
Europe, and Montenegro must endeavor to stop it. I also want to
encourage Montenegro to undertake the reforms necessary, especially
regarding the judicial system and other aspects of the rule of law, in
order to realize its aspirations for European and Euro-Atlantic
integration. The people of Montenegro can count on my support.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I think it important to note that
Montenegro's independent statehood has implications not only for
Montenegro but for the region as a whole. With Montenegro's independent
statehood accepted and recognized, another outstanding issue has been
resolved, and this time, thankfully, in a peaceful and democratic
manner.
Other issues still remain, including of course the question of
Kosovo's status. Some would assert that Montenegro's achievement of
independent statehood is a precedent that can be easily applied to
Kosovo or elsewhere. I would argue, however, that it is not the result
of the process Montenegro followed but the process itself, with its
commitment to democracy and respect for human rights as well as to
finding the most widely acceptable arrangements through compromise,
that is the true precedent here that others should follow.
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 965.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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