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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 251 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 251

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2000

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Commending the Republic of Croatia for the conduct of its parliamentary 
                      and presidential elections.

Whereas the fourth Croatian parliamentary elections, held on January 3, 2000, 
        marked Croatia's progress toward meeting its commitments as a 
        participating state of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe (OSCE) and as a member of the Council of Europe;
Whereas Croatia's third presidential elections were conducted smoothly and 
        professionally and concluded on February

7, 2000, with the landslide election of Stipe Mesic as the new President of 
the Republic of Croatia;

Whereas the free and fair elections in Croatia, and the following peaceful and 
        orderly transfer of power from the old government to the new, is an 
        example of democracy to the people of other nations in the region and a 
        major contribution to the democratic development of southeastern Europe; 
        and
Whereas the people of Croatia have made clear that they want Croatia to take its 
        rightful place in the family of European democracies and to develop a 
        closer and more constructive relationship with the Euro-Atlantic 
        community of democratic nations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the people of the Republic of Croatia are to be 
        congratulated on the successful elections and the outgoing 
        Government of Croatia is to be commended for the democratic 
        standards with which it managed the elections;
            (2) the United States should support the efforts of the new 
        Government of Croatia to increase its work on refugee return, 
        privatization reform, accession to the World Trade 
        Organization, media reform, and further cooperation with the 
        International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to 
        set an example to other countries in the region;
            (3) the Congress strongly supports Croatia's commitment to 
        western democratic standards and will give its full support to 
        the new Government of Croatia to fully implement democratic 
        reforms;
            (4) the United States continues to promote Croatian-
        American economic, political, and military relations and 
        welcomes Croatia as a partner in the cause of stability and 
        democratization in south central Europe;
            (5) the United States and the Republic of Croatia should 
        work to establish a strategic partnership to include Croatia's 
        entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership 
        for Peace; and
            (6) the countries of the European Union should develop 
        closer relations with Croatia and, in particular, should help 
        to expedite Croatia's accession into global and regional trade 
        organizations, including the World Trade Organization.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 15, 2000.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.
```