IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 965 

Commending the people of Montenegro on the conduct of the referendum 

on independence, welcoming United States recognition of the sovereignty 

and independence of the Republic of Montenegro, and welcoming Montenegrin membership in the United Nations and other international organizations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 28, 2006 

Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BLUMENAUER, and Mr. 

HASTINGS of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commending the people of Montenegro on the conduct of 

the referendum on independence, welcoming United 

States recognition of the sovereignty and independence 

of the Republic of Montenegro, and welcoming Montenegrin membership in the United Nations and other international organizations. 

Whereas the Constitutional Charter of the State Union of 

Serbia and Montenegro established provisions and procedures for withdrawal of a member state from the State 

Union, providing that a decision to withdraw ‘‘shall be 

made after a referendum has been held’’; 


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•HRES 965 IH 

Whereas, in accordance with Article 60 of the Constitutional 

Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, 

the Parliament of Montenegro unanimously adopted in 

March 2006 the Law on the Referendum on the State 

Legal Status of the Republic of Montenegro, which established the conditions for the conduct of the referendum 

on state independence, including establishing the standard that 55 percent of voters must support independence 

to achieve a valid mandate; 

Whereas the people of Montenegro in a popular referendum 

on May 21, 2006, voted to support the sovereign independence of the Republic of Montenegro from the State 

Union of Serbia and Montenegro by a margin of 55.5 

percent in favor of independence with over 86 percent of 

eligible voters participating in the referendum; 

Whereas, in accordance with the expressed will of a majority 

of the people of Montenegro, on June 3, 2006, the Parliament of Montenegro declared the independence of 

Montenegro, declaring that the Republic is a ‘‘multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society . . . based 

on the rule of law and market economy’’; 

Whereas countries and international organizations throughout the world, including the United States and the European Union, have formally recognized Montenegro as an 

independent state and are establishing diplomatic relations with Montenegro; 

Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said as she announced that the United States formally recognized the 

sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Montenegro that ‘‘the honor of being counted among the free 

and independent states of the world brings with it the 

challenge of protecting and advancing the freedom, 


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•HRES 965 IH 

rights, and prosperity of all the people of Montenegro, 

and the responsibility to make a positive contribution to 

the community of nations’’; 

Whereas on June 28, 2006, Montenegro was welcomed as the 

192nd member of the United Nations, on which occasion, 

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: ‘‘In 

achieving its independence through a non-violent and 

democratic process, conducted in a fair and open way, 

Montenegro showed the entire world not only its patience, 

but its political maturity.’’; and 

Whereas the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro have acted responsibly in their bilateral relationship following the decision of the Montenegrin people to 

withdraw from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro: on June 15, 2006, Serbia recognized the independence of Montenegro, the two countries have established formal diplomatic relations, and the President of 

Serbia was the first foreign head of state to pay an official visit to Montenegro: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends the people and the Government 

3 of the Republic of Montenegro for the free, fair, and 

4 responsible way in which the referendum on inde5 pendence was conducted and acknowledges the broad 

6 participation of the citizens of Montenegro in that 

7 important vote; 

8 (2) congratulates the people of Montenegro on 

9 their decision to establish an independent and sov10 ereign state and welcomes them to the community of 


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1 nations, to membership in the United Nations, to 

2 full participation in the Organization for Security 

3 and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and to mem4 bership in other international organizations; 

5 (3) welcomes the decision of the United States 

6 to recognize the sovereignty and independence of the 

7 Republic of Montenegro and urges the expeditious 

8 establishment of diplomatic relations between our 

9 two countries; and 

10 (4) urges the people and Government of Monte11 negro to continue to embrace the principles of demo12 cratic government and to take actions that will en13 courage respect for human rights, for a free market 

14 economy, and for a free, open and democratic society 

15 with full respect for all people of Montenegro. 

Æ 


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