[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

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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

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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.