[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7792]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MONTENEGRO SHOWS THE VIRTUE OF SELF-DETERMINATION

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                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 27, 2016

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, the right of self-determination is 
today manifested by unhappy ethnic and national groups in almost every 
corner of the world--Scotland, Catalonia, Baluchistan, Biafra, or 
Kashmir. Current national establishments, as well as international 
organizations and alliances, however, fear changing the map, terrified 
by any proposal to dissolve the legal, political, and economic bonds 
between peoples that creates two countries where there is now one.
  Self-determination and secession are, in the global establishment's 
mind, synonymous with instability, chaos and bloodshed. And, yes, that 
is what has happened all too often when a dominant ethnic group has 
refused to recognize rights of a minority to a vote on sticking with 
the status quo or governing themselves in a new or different country.
  But chaos need not be the outcome of people exercising their right of 
self-determination.
  Ten years ago this week, voters in Montenegro went to the polls in a 
referendum that posed the question, do you want Montenegro to be an 
independent state? When the votes were counted, 55.5 percent chose to 
peacefully dissolve their union with Serbia. Shortly thereafter, all 
five members of the United Nations Security Council recognized the 
newest country in the world.
  In a region not known for a peaceful resolution of disputes, the 
peoples of Serbia and Montenegro have written a praiseworthy chapter in 
the history of democratic government and self-determination.
  So what made it work so well this time? First and foremost, credit 
needs to be given to the Serbian government that permitted this 
referendum to occur. By doing so, made force and violence unnecessary 
and even counterproductive in the cause of Montenegrin independence. 
Belgrade, which has made its share of bad decisions, should be praised 
for making the right decision--right for the people of Serbia and 
Montenegro.
  There are only a few examples of such an amiable separation. The 
Czech and Slovak split into two countries is certainly one example. We 
remember elections in Scotland and Quebec, where voters did not choose 
to be a new nation. Clearly it is better to let the future be 
determined by ballots, not bullets, and in such a democratic 
environment, fewer people will want to vote for a split. If a minority 
decides to go for it, it will not result in a far-reaching trauma and 
decades of dissolution and animosity.
  Today, for example, Montenegro is poised for a better future. It is 
advancing toward Euro-Atlantic integration, increasing its ability to 
fight organized crime and corruption, and strengthening its civil 
society and democratic structures. Yes, there are vexing problems, but 
with independence, the people of Montenegro know they themselves will 
determine if Montenegro is to be on the right track. With such a 
dynamic in play, there is every reason for confidence that problems 
will be solved and the building of a better country will get done.
  As the chairman of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats 
Subcommittee, I have followed the volatile situation in those areas 
that are under pressure from such nationalistic movements. Economic 
stagnation and corruption feed the desire for self-determination and 
continue to be the biggest hurdle to developing countries like 
Montenegro, even now when the people there are free to control their 
own destiny. Forging new standards for transparency and accountability 
should cut down and make all the difference in situations like this. 
Montenegro's success in achieving membership in the EU and NATO depends 
on it. The government of Montenegro now points to its macroeconomic 
predictability, educated workforce, and openness to incentivized tax 
structures to lure direct foreign investment and serve as fuel for 
economic progress.
  Their future is in their hands. Thus, they know they must act--or 
they lose. So after decades of being a backwater country, literally and 
figuratively, Montenegro is on the move. Stratex Group, for example, is 
now the largest American investor in Montenegro. The CEO was one of 
many Jewish families that fled Soviet Communism and settled in the 
United States. As Montenegro develops, more international and domestic 
entrepreneurs, like Stratex, can be expected to take advantage of 
opportunities in this beautiful, free and independent country, 
opportunities brought on by the triumph of self-determination, 
sidelining conflict and corruption.
  The more success stories there are in the wake of amicable 
separation, the more peaceful independent movements can be expected to 
emerge. New nations like Montenegro can be expected, and once in 
control of their own destiny, people in these new independent countries 
can be expected to prioritize critical reforms and educate their new 
generations about corruption, free enterprise, and democratic 
government in the 21st century. I congratulate Montenegro on ten years 
of independence, and recommend others look to its experience as an 
example of gaining freedom and prosperity through self-determination.

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