    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [May 28, 2003]
    [Pages 548-550]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders on Termination of National Emergencies
    With Respect to Yugoslavia and Modification of the National Emergency
    With Respect to the Western Balkans
    May 28, 2003

    Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
        Consistent with section 204(b) of the International Emergency
    Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) (IEEPA), and sections 202(a) and
    301 of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622 and 1631, I hereby
    report that I have today issued an Executive Order. The order terminates
    the national emergencies declared in Executive Order 12808 of May 30,
    1992, and Executive Order 13088 of June 9, 1998, with respect to the
    former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and revokes those and
    all related orders. I have determined that the situations that gave rise
    to those national emergencies have been significantly altered by the
    peaceful transition to democracy and other positive developments in
    Serbia and Montenegro (formerly the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
    (Serbia and Montenegro) (the ``FRY (SaM)'').
        A series of Milosevic-era Executive Orders, beginning with Executive
    Order 12808 of May 30, 1992, imposed sanctions on the former Yugoslavia.
    The sanctions imposed pursuant to Executive Order 12808 and related
    orders were suspended pursuant to Presidential Determination 96-7, on
    December 27, 1995, in order to achieve a settlement of the conflict in
    Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Executive Order 13192 of January 17, 2001,
    President Clinton lifted

    [[Page 549]]

    sanctions on the Government of the FRY (SaM) and the Governments of the
    Republics of Serbia and Montenegro that had been imposed pursuant to
    Executive Order 13088 and related orders. Since that time, the United
    States Government has maintained sanctions on Slobodan
    Milosevic, his close associates, and
    other persons, because of the illegitimate control over FRY (SaM)
    political institutions and economic resources or enterprises exercised
    by these persons and their capacity to repress democracy or perpetrate
    or promote further human rights abuses.
        I have now determined that the strong commitment to political and
    economic reform shown by senior officials in the Government of Serbia
    and Montenegro warrants the termination altogether of the national
    emergencies declared with respect to the former Socialist Federal
    Republic of Yugoslavia. These national emergencies, and the sanctions
    that flowed from them, though suspended or lifted, have been perceived
    to be outdated and have been a source of bilateral concern for the
    United States and Serbia and Montenegro. In terminating these national
    emergencies, this Executive Order also encourages the efforts of reform-
    minded officials of the Government of Serbia and Montenegro by removing
    the vestiges of restrictions imposed during the Milosevic era.
        Although I am terminating the Yugoslav emergencies and related
    Executive Orders, pursuant to my authority under IEEPA, I am continuing
    for the near future certain prohibitions with respect to property
    previously blocked pursuant to Executive Orders 12808 and 13088. Such
    prohibitions are necessary on account of claims involving the successor
    states to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and others
    with respect to certain property and interests in property that have yet
    to be unblocked. In addition, certain individuals targeted with
    sanctions under Executive Order 13088, as amended by Executive Order
    13192 of January 17, 2001, will now be subject to sanctions set forth
    under the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13219 of June
    26, 2001, with respect to persons who threaten international
    stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans, as discussed below.
        I have amended Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001, with respect
    to persons who threaten international stabilization efforts in the
    Western Balkans to take additional steps with respect to continuing,
    widespread, and illicit actions by certain persons that obstruct
    implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 2001 relating to
    Macedonia, or United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June
    10, 1999, relating to Kosovo, or the Dayton Accords or the Conclusions
    of the Peace Implementation Conference held in London on December 8-9,
    1995, including the decisions or conclusions of the High Representative,
    the Peace Implementation Council or its Steering Board, relating to
    Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the harboring of individuals indicted
    by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. These
    additional steps respond to the continuing actions of ethnic extremists
    in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, southern Serbia, and elsewhere in the
    Western Balkans who engage in acts of violence, sometimes targeting
    international personnel, or otherwise obstruct efforts to build peace
    and stability. The Executive Order underscores the support of the United
    States for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
    by sanctioning those individuals indicted by the Tribunal and those who
    aid and abet their efforts to escape justice.
        The Executive Order blocks all property and interests in property of
    the persons identified in the Annex to the order, which supersedes a
    previous Annex attached to Executive Order 13219, as well as persons
    subsequently designated pursuant to the order by the Secretary of the
    Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State. The order further
    prohibits any transaction

    [[Page 550]]

    or dealing by United States persons or within the United States in
    property or interests in property blocked pursuant to the order,
    including the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods,
    or services to or for the benefit of the persons designated pursuant to
    the order.
        Under the order, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized, in
    consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate additional
    persons, and thereby block their property and assets, that are
    determined:
        -- to be under open indictment by the International Criminal
            Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, unless circumstances warrant
            otherwise, or
        -- to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing,
            acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening
            the peace in or diminishing the stability or security of any
            area or state in the Western Balkans region, undermining the
            authority, efforts, or objectives of international organizations
            or entities present in the region, or endangering the safety of
            persons participating in or providing support to the activities
            of those international organizations or entities, or
        -- to have actively obstructed, or pose a significant risk of
            actively obstructing, implementation of the Ohrid Framework
            Agreement of 2001 relating to Macedonia, United Nations Security
            Council Resolution 1244 relating to Kosovo, or the Dayton
            Accords or the Conclusions of the Peace Implementation
            Conference held in London on December 8-9, 1995, including the
            decisions or conclusions of the High Representative, the Peace
            Implementation Council or its Steering Board, relating to Bosnia
            and Herzegovina, or
        -- to have materially assisted in, sponsored, or provided financial,
            material or technological support for, or goods or services in
            support of, such acts of violence or obstructionism, or any
            person listed in or designated pursuant to this order, or
        -- to be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act
            directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, any persons
            designated in or pursuant to this order.
        In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the
    Secretary of State, is also authorized to determine, subsequent to the
    issuance of the Executive Order, that circumstances no longer warrant
    inclusion of a person in the Annex to the order and that such person is
    therefore no longer covered within the scope of the Executive Order. The
    Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State,
    is also authorized to issue regulations in the exercise of authorities
    under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the United
    Nations Participation Act of 1945, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287c), to
    implement the measures provided in the order. All Federal agencies are
    directed to take actions within their authority to carry out the
    provisions of the Executive Order.
        This Executive Order further demonstrates the U.S. commitment to
    supporting reform throughout the Balkans and recognizes the significant
    steps the countries of the region have taken, and are continuing to
    take, to root out corruption and fight organized crime.
        I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. This
    order becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 29,
    2003.
             Sincerely,

                                                              George W. Bush

    Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
    House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the
    Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    May 29. The Executive order of May 28 is listed in Appendix D at the end
    of this volume.