[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23800]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 237--WELCOMING THE PUBLIC APOLOGIES ISSUED BY THE 
PRESIDENT OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
   CROATIA AND URGING OTHER LEADERS IN THE REGION TO PERFORM SIMILAR 
                    CONCRETE ACTS OF RECONCILIATION

  Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Biden) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations.

                              S. Res. 237

       Whereas the President of Serbia and Montenegro and the 
     President of the Republic of Croatia each issued on September 
     10, 2003, a public statement of apology for the crimes 
     committed by citizens of each country against citizens of the 
     other country; and
       Whereas the countries of Southeast Europe are struggling to 
     move beyond the problems of the past and toward a brighter 
     future that includes membership in both the European Union 
     and NATO: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) welcomes the public apologies issued on September 10, 
     2003, by the President of Serbia and Montenegro and the 
     President of the Republic of Croatia;
       (2) commends the initiative and personal courage 
     demonstrated by their actions;
       (3) recognizes the value of such apologies in the important 
     process of reconciliation in Southeast Europe;
       (4) notes public support within the region for these 
     efforts;
       (5) calls upon the governments in the region to continue 
     their efforts to encourage and advance reconciliation; and
       (6) reiterates the importance of resolving post-conflict 
     issues, including--
       (A) by ensuring that refugees and internally displaced 
     persons have the right to return home; and
       (B) by bringing persons indicted for war crimes to justice, 
     including through cooperation with the International Criminal 
     Tribunal on the Former Yugoslavia.

                          ____________________