IV

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 103

Expressing support for equal and fair access to higher education in the

Albanian language in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 21, 1995

Mr. GILMAN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing support for equal and fair access to higher education in the Albanian language in the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia.

Whereas failure to achieve fair and cooperative inter-ethnic

relations often leads to governmental repression and conflict between peoples of different ethnic backgrounds;

Whereas the achievement of fair and cooperative treatment of

all citizens, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, is a

serious challenge for all of the states of the Balkans region, including those states that gained their independence after the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

Whereas, as is seen in the ongoing conflicts in the Republic

of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

attempts by any one ethnic group to engage in so-called
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‘‘ethnic cleansing’’ or to divide states along ethnic lines

can lead to vicious conflict and tremendous suffering;

Whereas, as is seen in the repression of ethnic minorities in

the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina in the state of Serbia and Montenegro, failure to properly incorporate citizens of different ethnic backgrounds within political, social and governmental spheres can lead to violent repression of those ethnic minorities and merely promote the

use of violence by such repressed minorities to gain their

proper political and social rights;

Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as a

successor state to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, faces important issues involving the fair and equitable treatment of all of its citizens, regardless of their

ethnic background;

Whereas the extraordinary census conducted by the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in

June 1994 determined that those citizens of Albanian descent constitute at least 23 percent of the total population;

Whereas Macedonia’s citizens of Albanian descent are increasingly concerned to ensure fair and equitable treatment as citizens of the state of Macedonia, including appropriate opportunities for education at all levels of instruction;

Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is an

applicant for membership in the Council of Europe, an

organization that encourages its member states to provide the opportunity for educational instruction in the

languages of minority groups that constitute the citizenry

of those states;
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Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is an

applicant for membership in the Organization on Security

and Cooperation in Europe, an organization that, in the

‘‘Copenhagen Document’’ of its 1990 Conference on the

Human Dimension, noted the need for adequate opportunities for educational instruction in the native languages

of citizens from minority groups;

Whereas international documents and conventions recognize

the right of persons belonging to national minorities to

establish their own educational institutions within the

framework of and in conformity with the legislation of

the state within which they live;

Whereas admissions of ethnic Albanian citizens of the

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the Universities at Skopje and Bitola extend only up to 10 percent

of total new enrollments, a figure far below the 23 percent of Macedonia’s population that is composed of ethnic

Albanians;

Whereas higher education for ethnic Albanian citizens of

Macedonia is made more difficult by the lack of general

usage of the Albanian language at that level of instruction;

Whereas ethnic Albanian citizens of Macedonia had benefited

from the creation of an Albanian-language University in

Prishtina in the neighboring region of Kosovo after 1974;

Whereas the Albanian-language University at Prishtina was

closed by the government of Serbia in 1990, preventing

ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia from receiving university-level instruction in their native language;
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Whereas there are increasing reports that the ethnic Albanian

citizens of Macedonia are concerned that efforts to ensure access to higher education in the Albanian language

have met with little success;

Whereas an application was filed with the Ministry of Education of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in

October 1994 seeking permission to open an Albanianlanguage university as part of the established system of

education;

Whereas ethnic Albanian students at the Pedagogical Academy of the University at Skopje conducted a strike in

November 1994 in support of instruction in the Albanian

language to better ensure their ability to properly instruct students at the primary and secondary levels employing the Albanian language;

Whereas, in the absence of a response to the application filed

with the Ministry of Education of the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia in October 1994, attempts were

made in December 1994 to begin university classes in the

Albanian language at Tetovo, Macedonia and were prevented by the intervention of police forces;

Whereas several ethnic Albanian Members of Parliament

from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and

Dr. Fadil Sulejmani, former professor and rector at the

Albanian Language University in Prishtina, Kosovo, now

residing in Tetovo, Macedonia, visited the United States

in February 1995 and informed United States Members

of Congress of their concern for the lack of higher education in the Albanian language;

Whereas in February 1995 a private delegation of United

States citizens led by former Member of Congress Joseph
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DioGuardi visited Tetovo, Macedonia to observe renewed

attempts to establish university classes offered in the Albanian language;

Whereas in February 1995 such renewed attempts to open an

Albanian-language university at Tetovo, Macedonia were

again prevented by police forces, with the death of one

ethnic Albanian citizen of Macedonia and the wounding

of 28 other persons occurring as a result of the related

violence;

Whereas in June 1995 the ethnic Albanian party of Democratic Prosperity in the Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia expressed its concerns to the Council of Europe regarding the lack of adequate opportunity for higher education in the Albanian language;

Whereas the High Commissioner for National Minorities of

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

has stated that it is time for a dialogue between the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

and representatives of the ethnic Albanian minority in

Macedonia on issues such as access to higher education

in the language of national minorities; and

Whereas the Government and Parliament of the Former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are considering the

adoption of a new law on higher education: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the Government of the Former Yugoslav

4 Republic of Macedonia should take all appropriate
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1 measures to ensure the fair and equitable treatment

2 of all of its citizens, regardless of ethnic background;

3 (2) while steps taken by the Government of the

4 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to ensure

5 instruction in the Albanian language and the lan6 guage of other national minorities in Macedonia at

7 the primary and secondary levels of education are

8 commendable, the ethnic Albanian citizens of Mac9 edonia continue to suffer from the lack of oppor10 tunity for higher education in their native language;

11 (3) the Government and Parliament of the

12 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should

13 therefore consider, within the framework of the

14 adoption of a new law on higher education, all

15 means by which higher education conducted in the

16 Albanian language can be provided, including the es17 tablishment of an Albanian-language university;

18 (4) the Government of the Former Yugoslav

19 Republic of Macedonia should also undertake steps

20 to ensure the establishment of Albanian-language

21 pedagogical faculties at established universities in

22 Macedonia;

23 (5) the efforts by the High Commissioner for

24 National Minorities of the Organization on Security

25 and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe,
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1 and the Working Group on Ethnic Minorities of the

2 International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia,

3 to offer guidance and mediation to the Government

4 of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and

5 representatives of the Albanian minority in resolving

6 the issue of higher education in the Albanian lan7 guage, are commendable;

8 (6) the President should express to the Govern9 ment of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

10 the strong support of the Government of the United

11 States for measures that will contribute to democ12 racy and stability in the Former Yugoslav Republic

13 of Macedonia, including efforts to ensure access to

14 higher education in the Albanian language;

15 (7) the President should offer appropriate sup16 port for the efforts to the High Commissioner on

17 National Minorities of the Organization on Security

18 and Cooperation in Europe to resolve the issue of

19 access to higher education in the Albanian language;

20 (8) the President should offer appropriate sup21 port for efforts by the Government of the Former

22 Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to ensure access to

23 higher education in the Albanian language, including

24 assistance for the establishment of necessary curric-
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1 ula and the provision of textbooks and related course

2 materials; and

3 (9) in the interest of improved inter-ethnic rela4 tions within Macedonia, the President of the Former

5 Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should employ ap6 propriate authority under the Constitution of Mac7 edonia to provide pardons to those convicted of

8 charges relating to the events that accompanied at9 tempts to open university-level classes in the Alba10 nian language at Tetovo, Macedonia in February

11 1995.

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