[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59883-59884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25784]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3431]


Bureau of European Affairs; U.S. Bilateral Assistance to Bosnia 
and Serbia

    The Secretary of State issued on March 15, 2000, a waiver of 
restrictions under Section 566 of the Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000, for bilateral 
assistance to the Republika Srpska (RS) and Serbia (excluding Kosovo), 
as follows:

    (1) In the Republika Srpska:-- support for civilian police 
restructuring; USAID and State public diplomacy programs promoting 
democratization, reconciliation, and free and independent media; the 
Community Reintegration and Stabilization Project of USAID, as well 
as its Bosnia Business Development, Economic Reform and Democratic 
Reform Programs; OSCE-supervised elections and human rights 
activities; and Trade and Development Agency (TDA) activities 
designed to assist U.S. businesses in Bosnia. The municipalities of 
Foca, Pale, and Prijedor are excluded from this waiver, because 
competent authorities have failed to take necessary and significant 
steps to apprehend and transfer war crimes indictees to the 
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. These 
municipalities will not be eligible for new U.S. assistance.
    (2) In Serbia: State public diplomacy and USAID programs to 
support democratic reform, including free and independent media and 
labor; economic reform and other advisory assistance to the 
democratic FRY opposition; developing programs with NGOs for the 
delivery of humanitarian assistance through new distribution 
mechanisms that are independent of Belgrade regime control; and 
technical assistance, training grants, and exchanges designed to 
benefit opposition-controlled municipalities.

    The Secretary noted that, `` Our bilateral assistance promotes 
Dayton and an integrated Bosnia. Recipients of U.S. assistance must 
state in writing their support for Dayton and then act accordingly. Our 
assistance has promoted the growth of pro-Dayton parties in the RS, 
development of independent media, minority returns, privatization and 
market-oriented reform, increased minority representation in the RS 
police force, and efforts to investigate corruption and curb police 
abuse.

    The promotion of independent media and pro-democracy NGOs has a 
special significance in the aftermath of the Kosovo conflict. The 
Milosevic regime in Belgrade has an interest in ensuring that no 
pro-Western governments can survive in areas of predominantly Serb 
population. RS authorities have demonstrated their readiness to 
ensure freedom of movement for members of opposition political 
parties and the

[[Page 59884]]

independent media from Serbia. The response from the Belgrade regime 
has been to curb dissemination of democratically-oriented media from 
the RS into Serbia and to issue threats against representatives of 
the RS government.

    Section 566 requires publication of a listing and justification of 
any assistance that is obligated for any country, entity, or canton to 
which assistance restrictions apply, including a description of the 
purpose of the assistance project and its location, by municipality.
    The following data are for funds obligated during April-July 2000. 
Locality data are provided where feasible. However, U.S. assistance in 
Bosnia, including Republika Srpska has largely shifted from physical 
reconstruction projects to provision of technical assistance and 
promotion of political and economic reform. As indicated below, 
assistance in Serbia is geared toward increasing capabilities of 
political opposition parties and the independent media. U.S. bilateral 
aid implementers apply strict screening procedures to ensure that aid 
beneficiaries, whether of business credits or technical assistance, are 
firms or organizations in which war crimes indictees have no material 
influence or interest.

USAID: Bosnia/Republika SRPSKA

    The following list gives, in order, Date of Obligation, Amount of 
Obligation, Project Number , Project Title, Description of Activity, 
Justification of Assistance, Location.

4/04/00. $549,916. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Voter 
Education Assistance.Throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina (includes RS)
4/04/00. $109,000. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Electoral 
polling in support of April municipal elections. Throughout Bosnia-
Herzegovina (includes RS)
4/19/00. $65,000. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Support 
political resource center to service candidates and parties. Visegrad 
(RS).
5/2/00. $2,721,834. 180-0056. Bosnia Reconstruction Finance. Technical 
assistance to the business development program, to support loan program 
to private enterprises. Throughout RS, with emphasis on US SFOR AOR.
5/4/00. $3,501,249. 180-0014. Privatization & Enterprise Restructuring. 
Provide service delivery and management at selected banks. Supports 
development of private sector economy. Primarily Western RS in US--SFOR 
AOR.
5/12/00. $244,117. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Grant with 
ABA/CEELI. Improve management of court system. RS wide.
5/17/00. $3,000,000. 180-0014. Privatization & Enterprise 
Restructuring. Provide technical assistance and training in 
international accounting and audit standards. Supports development of 
private sector economy. Primarily Western RS in US--SFOR AOR.
5/25/00. $400,000. 180-0014. Privatization & Enterprise Restructuring. 
Conducting financial verification of payments bureaus. Supports 
international community priority of shutting down payments bureau 
system by December 2000 and restructuring BiH financial system along 
Western lines. Throughout RS.
5/25/00. $489,957. 180-0019. Democratic Governance. Provision of 
technical assistance to managers and administrators. Supporting 
democratization. Throughout RS.
5/31/00. $4,643,917. 180-0022. Media Training. Technical assistance to 
independent electronic and print media. Federation and RS.
6/6/00. $502,193. 180-0032. NGO Development. Strengthen civil society 
by facilitating NGO development through training and technical 
assistance. Federation and RS.

USAID: Serbia

5/1/00. $995,556. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Political 
party development. Economic program development; for use in opposition 
election campaigns and to guide polices once the political opposition 
is elected to office.
5/10/00. $990,131. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Political 
party development; increase cohesiveness and electoral outreach 
capabilities of democratic opposition parties.
5/15/00. $227,820. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Political 
party development. Aims to increase cohesiveness and electoral outreach 
capabilities of democratic opposition parties.
5/24/00. $822,470. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Political 
party development; increase cohesiveness and electoral outreach 
capabilities of democratic opposition parties.
6/5/00. $500,000. 180-0020. Rule of Law. Work with legal community 
toward a more democratic legal framework. Goal: improve legal system 
that sustains democratic process.
6/22/00. $1,100,000. 180-0021 and 180-0032. Political and Social 
Process; NGO Development. Political campaign training and vote 
mobilization activities; develop social and political advocacy 
capabilities of NGOs. Goals: Increase electoral capabilities of 
opposition parties; strengthen NGO role in democratic process.
6/29/00. $1,000,000. 180-0021. Political and Social Process. Elections 
Program: Increase electoral capabilities of opposition parties through 
more effective civil society training and advocacy.
7/11/00. $629,460. 180-0032. NGO Development. Use telecottage concept 
to facilitate information sharing. Goal: Strengthen advocacy 
capabilities of civil society.
7/14/00. $7,767,480. 180-0022. Independent Media. Training and direct 
material assistance to improve capabilities of independent media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the SEED Coordinator, 
Department of State, 2101 C St NW, Washington, DC 20521, 202-647-0853.

    Dated: October 5, 2000.
Larry C. Napper,
Coordinator for East European Assistance, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-25784 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
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