[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S8655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORDS
Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent to proceed to S. Res. 697.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 697) recognizing the 15th anniversary
of the Dayton Peace Accords.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to,
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements
relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 697) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 697
Whereas on December 14, 1995, the Dayton Peace Accords
established peace and ended the war on the Balkan Peninsula
in which more than 2,000,000 people were displaced and
thousands were killed;
Whereas peace treaty negotiations began November 1, 1995,
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and
concluded there on November 21, 1995, when Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia agreed to settle all war
conflicts;
Whereas after 21 days of negotiations, the peace treaty
negotiations successfully concluded with a peace treaty that
was accepted by all parties;
Whereas the Dayton, Ohio, community provided outstanding
security during the peace treaty negotiations;
Whereas the conclusion of the Dayton Peace Accords was a
successful effort of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
led by the United States, with outstanding cooperation from
the Russian Federation, Germany, France, and the United
Kingdom;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords were the result of, and
showed the success of, strong joint North Atlantic Treaty
Organization efforts to promote and establish peace,
security, and prosperity;
Whereas the signatories to the Dayton Peace Accords made a
commitment to fully respect human rights and the rights of
refugees and displaced persons;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords transformed Bosnia and
Herzegovina from a country mired in a war based on ethnic and
religious differences into a country engaged in an intense,
but peaceful, struggle over the manner by which to form an
independent and stable country;
Whereas the United States Agency for International
Development and other bilateral and multilateral agencies and
organizations made large investments to build a strong and
independent media in Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and
Herzegovina;
Whereas the Dayton International Peace Museum honors the
Dayton Peace Accords and offers nonpartisan educational
programs and exhibitions featuring the themes of nonviolent
conflict resolution, social justice, international relations,
and peace;
Whereas the people of the State of Ohio and the Dayton
region facilitated and strongly supported the implementation
of the Dayton Peace Accords, as well as promoted the peaceful
democratization of the deeply divided country of Bosnia and
Herzegovina;
Whereas stability and prosperity were fostered by the State
of Ohio through the establishment of an exemplary
relationship between the Ohio National Guard and the Armed
Forces of Serbia;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in
2006, remains the only literary peace price in the United
States and follows the legacy of the 1995 Dayton Peace
Accords by acknowledging writers who advance peace through
literature;
Whereas the city of Dayton and the city of Sarajevo have
built a solid relationship as Sister Cities, and many other
organizations in the region, such as the University of Dayton
and the Friendship Force, have built strong relationships
with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina through programs
and exchanges; and
Whereas while progress remains to be made in refining the
governance structures of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dayton
Peace Accords successfully established peace, restored human
dignity, and laid the foundation for future progress in
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace
Accords;
(2) acknowledges the challenges Bosnia and Herzegovina
still face and commends the socioeconomic and political
progress that is being made in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(3) encourages the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
adhere to the membership requirements of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization so that Bosnia and Herzegovina may join
the alliance without delay;
(4) encourages the further integration and cooperation of
European countries with the goal of establishing peace and
economic prosperity for all of the people of Europe;
(5) renews the commitment of the United States to support
the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(6) urges the continuation of constitutional reforms,
market-based economic growth, and improved dialogue between
the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the elected
Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
(7) encourages the United States Air Force to take
appropriate measures to provide historical interpretation of
the site of the Dayton Peace Accords to educate the public on
the historical significance of the Dayton Peace Accords and
the importance of negotiation in world peace.
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