[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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