[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000-2001, Book III)]
[January 19, 2001]
[Pages 2960-2961]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders on Lifting and Modifying Measures With 
Respect to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
January 19, 2001

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) (IEEPA) and section 301 of the National 
Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631, I hereby report that I have exercised 
my statutory authority to take additional actions with respect to the 
national emergency described and declared in Executive Order 13088 of 
June 9, 1998, and related to the actions and policies of the Governments 
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) (the ``FRY 
(S&M)'') and the Republic of Serbia with respect to Kosovo. I have 
issued a new Executive Order to lift, with respect to future 
transactions, the economic sanctions imposed pursuant to Executive Order 
13088 and expanded by Executive Order 13121 of April 30, 1999, except 
for those sanctions targeted against members and supporters of the 
former Milosevic regime. These actions are also taken in furtherance of 
United Nations Security Council Resolution 827 of May 25, 1993, and 
subsequent resolutions.
    The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, is authorized to issue regulations in exercise of my authorities 
under IEEPA and the United Nations Participation Act, 22 U.S.C. 287c, to 
implement measures lifting and modifying the economic sanctions imposed 
pursuant to Executive Order 13088. Property blocked pursuant to 
Executive Order 13088 before the effective date of the new Executive 
Order will continue to be blocked pending the resolution of successor 
state and other issues. All Federal agencies are also directed to take 
actions within their statutory authority to carry out the provisions of 
the new Executive Order. In addition to the persons I have identified in 
the annex to the new Executive Order, the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, is to identify certain other 
persons whose property and interests in property will be blocked 
pursuant to the order and with respect to whose property interests 
certain transactions or dealings by U.S. persons will be prohibited. The 
Secretary of the Treasury, again in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, is also authorized to remove any person from the annex to the 
order. In order to ensure the fullest implementation of the Executive 
Order, the Secretary of State will take steps to identify for 
appropriate consideration by the Secretary of the Treasury persons 
potentially covered by the criteria set forth in the order, which 
includes individuals who may have sought or may be seeking, through 
repressive measures or otherwise, to exercise illegitimate control over 
FRY (S&M) political institutions or economic resources.
    I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. The 
order was effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on January 19, 
2001.
    I have authorized these measures in response to the recent positive 
developments in the FRY (S&M) and, notwithstanding those developments, 
the unusual and extraordinary threat that

[[Page 2961]]

remains to the national security and foreign policy of the United 
States. I found in Executive Order 13088 that the actions and policies 
of the Governments of the FRY (S&M) and the Republic of Serbia with 
respect to Kosovo, by promoting ethnic conflict and human suffering, 
threatened to destabilize the countries of the region and to disrupt 
progress in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in implementing the 
Dayton peace agreement, and therefore constituted an unusual and 
extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the 
United States. I declared a national emergency to deal with that threat 
and ordered that economic sanctions be imposed with respect to those 
governments. I issued Executive Order 13121 in response to the 
continuing human rights and humanitarian crises in Kosovo. That order 
revised and substantially expanded the sanctions imposed pursuant to 
Executive Order 13088.
    On September 24, 2000, the people of the FRY (S&M) displayed 
extraordinary courage and principle when they elected Vojislav 
Kostunica to be their president. The 
peaceful democratic transition begun by President Kostunica and the 
people of the FRY (S&M) opens the prospect of the FRY (S&M)'s rejoining 
fully the international community and merits lifting, with respect to 
future transactions, the economic sanctions imposed pursuant to 
Executive Orders 13088 and 13121. Notwithstanding these positive 
developments, steps must still be taken to support the ongoing efforts 
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) 
and to continue to counter the threat that remains with respect to 
stability in the Balkan region and the full implementation of the Dayton 
peace agreement.
    In resolution 827 and subsequent resolutions, the United Nations 
Security Council has called upon all states to cooperate fully with the 
ICTY. In this connection, the ICTY has issued an order that states 
determine whether Slobodan Milosevic and 
four other indicted persons have assets located in their territories 
and, if any such assets are found, adopt provisional measures to freeze 
those assets.
    Additionally, Slobodan Milosevic and 
other persons currently or subsequently under open indictment by the 
ICTY must be held fully accountable for the violence and atrocities they 
unleashed in the Balkans over the past decade, and they must be denied 
access to the economic and other means that would support their further 
repressing democracy or promoting or perpetrating further human rights 
abuses. The same holds true for those persons assisting the indictees 
and other blocked persons in their illicit activities and those persons 
who, through repressive measures or otherwise, illegitimately exercise 
control over FRY (S&M) political institutions and economic resources and 
enterprises under the sponsorship of Slobodan Milosevic and his close 
associates.
    We heartily applaud the peaceful democratic transition that is 
underway in the FRY (S&M) and we pledge to support President 
Kostunica and other newly elected leaders 
as they work to build a truly democratic society. Unfortunately, 
however, we must recognize the past and present capacity of Slobodan 
Milosevic and other indicted war 
criminals and their close associates or other persons to foment ethnic 
conflict, repress democracy, and promote or perpetrate further human 
rights abuses. This capacity continues to threaten the stability of the 
Balkan region and the full implementation of the Dayton peace agreement 
and, therefore, still constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to 
the national security and foreign policy of the United States. The 
actions we are taking will assist the FRY (S&M) in ending its isolation 
and returning fully to the international community. They also express 
our condemnation of the violence and atrocities that have plagued the 
Balkan region for the past decade and will help prevent human rights 
abuses in the future.
         Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. An 
original was not available for verification of the content of this 
letter. The Executive order of January 17 is listed in Appendix D at the 
end of this volume.