[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 22 (Monday, June 2, 2003)]
[Pages 672-674]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on Termination of Emergencies With 
Respect to Yugoslavia and Modification of Emergencies With Regard 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 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

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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 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

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      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.