[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DAYTON ACCORDS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the legacy of the Dayton Accords is 
something the Balkans are still coming to terms with. The scourge of 
war and ethnic division have for too long cast a shadow of these 
historic and beautiful nations. For nearly 30 years, we have worked 
with our friends in the region to bring peace and reconciliation. We 
have learned many lessons and overcome many challenges. We have 
achieved peace but it remains an uneasy peace that must be closely 
tended to.
  The United States took on the responsibility when it intervened in 
the Balkans during the 1990s to find a political solution that enables 
freedom and peace between neighbors. We are not done with this 
responsibility. The Dayton Accords was an important agreement, but it 
was a flawed agreement. It did not solve all the region's problems and 
even created a few new ones. Peacekeepers remain in the Balkans to this 
day holding together the fragile agreement we constructed. If violence 
breaks out and if the region descends into chaos, It is our credibility 
that is damaged. But worst, it will reopen old wounds that are nearly 
healed. It is vital to our interests that peace, freedom, and 
prosperity triumph in the Balkans. Through Dayton we played a role in 
setting the current course, so have a stake in the region's future.
  Having spent a lot of time in the region, I have developed a deep 
affection and admiration for the peoples of the Balkans. I know them to 
be a proud, resilient, and strong-willed community--not unlike my 
fellow Texans. Specifically, I am proud to have forged a strong 
friendship with our Serbian partners as co-chair of the Serbia caucus. 
In them I see hope for the future. At the time Dayton was brokered, the 
United States and Serbia were foes, with daunting disagreements about 
the future of the region. But today we are friends working towards 
closer ties and a stronger Transatlantic community. I have seen that in 
Serbian President Vucic we have a partner for the future. He is 
committed to a Serbia living at peace with its neighbors. This includes 
moving his nation into the European Union and tackling the thorny issue 
ofKosovo. We must show him our support.
  Of course, our warming ties with Serbia and the rest of the region 
have caught the notice of the Kremlin. Russia has always felt the 
Balkans was under its sphere of influence. Dating back to the time of 
Soviet imperialism, Moscow has tried to force its will on the region. 
Vladimir Putin is trying desperately to upset the Balkan's integration 
with the Euro-Atlantic community. In 2016, Putin even tried to support 
a coup in Montenegro to prevent its ascension into NATO. The Kremlin's 
meddling in the region continues to this day, where it is sponsoring an 
elaborate and extensive disinformation campaign across the Balkans. 
Putin is hoping that by flooding the media in the region with lies, he 
can create division, unrest, and convince the people of the Balkans to 
move away from the West. The citizens of the region are freedom loving 
people yearning to join and prosper within the Euro-Atlantic alliance, 
rather than the tyranny and violence of Putin's realm. We need to take 
a more active role in thwarting Russia's deceptions.
  Putin, however, is not the only threat to the region. The rise of 
ISIS and migrant crisis has strained the resources of our Balkan 
friends. The threat of radicalization and returning foreign fighters is 
a shared threat which we must work together to combat. To forge our 
partnership with the Balkan states and demonstrate our commitment to 
stability in the region, it is required that the United States be 
attentive to their security concerns as much as any of our allies in 
Europe. Let us not forget that instability in the Balkans a hundred 
years ago sparked a course of events that led to two world wars, 
millions dead, and divided Europe. That is why it is crucial we remain 
steadfast partners to the Balkans.
  The United States has a lot to offer to help guide the region towards 
a bright and peaceful future. We have an obligation because of Dayton 
to remain engaged and see that the problems of the past are overcome.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________