[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CONGRATULATING THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration 
and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 483.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 483) congratulating the Republic of 
     Serbia's application for European Union membership and 
     recognizing Serbia's active efforts to integrate into Europe 
     and the global community.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The resolution (S. Res. 483) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 483

       Whereas the United States has been a strong supporter of 
     the European Union (EU);
       Whereas the year 2010 marks a full decade of efforts of the 
     Government of Serbia to reintegrate into Europe and the 
     global community;
       Whereas, on November 30, 2009, the EU decided that the 
     citizens of ``Serbia will be able to travel without visa to 
     the Schengen area'' permitting the greater integration of 
     Serbia into Europe;
       Whereas a democratically elected Government of Serbia has 
     committed to resolving regional disagreements through 
     diplomacy and the tenets of international law;
       Whereas, on April 29, 2008, the EU and Serbia signed a 
     Stabilization and Association Agreement, which considered 
     ``the EU's readiness to integrate Serbia to the fullest 
     extent into the political and economic mainstream of Europe 
     and its status as a potential candidate for EU membership'';
       Whereas, on June 21, 2003, the EU stated in the Summit 
     Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit at Thessaloniki 
     that ``the future of the Balkans is within the EU'' and that 
     the countries of the Western Balkans' ``rapprochement with 
     the EU will go hand in hand with the development of regional 
     co-operation'';
       Whereas the United States Government has supported the 
     diplomatic efforts of the Government of Serbia to reintegrate 
     into the global community, including a visit by Vice 
     President Joseph Biden in May 2009; and
       Whereas the United States Government has long viewed the EU 
     as a source of stabilization, security, and prosperity for 
     all of Europe and the world: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) applauds the people of Serbia for furthering their 
     commitment to democracy, free markets, tolerance, 
     nondiscrimination, and the rule of law;
       (2) urges the European Council to adopt in a timely manner 
     a clear position on Serbia's qualifications as a candidate 
     country;
       (3) welcomes the decision of the democratically elected 
     Government of Serbia to join the NATO Partnership for Peace 
     Program in 2006;
       (4) recognizes the cooperation of the Government of Serbia 
     with the United States Government on issues such as 
     democratization, anti-drug trafficking, anti-terrorism, human 
     rights, regional cooperation, and trade;
       (5) strongly urges the Government of Serbia to intensify 
     efforts to capture and transfer at-large indictees Goran 
     Hadzic and Ratko Mladic to the International Criminal 
     Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and otherwise to fully 
     cooperate with the Tribunal; and
       (6) encourages the European Union to also remain actively 
     engaged with all countries in the Western Balkans regarding 
     their aspirations for European integration.

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