IV
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 454
Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of
Croatia.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 20, 2002
Mr. RADANOVICH (for himself and Mr. HINCHEY) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the independence of
the Republic of Croatia.
Whereas the United States recognized the Republic of Cro-
atia on April 7, 1992, acknowledging the decision of the
Croatian people to live in an independent, democratic,
and sovereign country;
Whereas, during the 10 years since the recognition, the peo-
ple of Croatia have persevered in building a democratic
society, based on the rule of law, respect for human
rights, and a free market economy;
Whereas the people and Government of Croatia share the
democratic values of the international community and the
responsibility to uphold them, actively promoting demo-
cratic values in international organizations;
•HRES 454 IH
Whereas Croatia has previously cooperated with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by allowing NATO
free access to its air space during NATO’s 1999 military
action against Serbia;
Whereas Croatia, cooperating on the basis of partnership and
solidarity, participates in the Vilnius Group, which is
committed to the common values of security and demo-
cratic stability through future North Atlantic Treaty Or-
ganization membership;
Whereas the United States has shown support for Croatia in
many ways over the past 10 years, including by providing
economic and military assistance that has contributed
significantly to the continued success of Croatia, which is
now a cornerstone democracy in South Central Europe;
Whereas Croatia is a reliable friend and ally of the United
States, actively contributing to the stabilization of South
Central Europe;
Whereas Croatia immediately positioned itself within the
antiterrorism coalition of nations, having, among other
things, assisted United States intelligence agencies in ap-
prehending 
Al 
Qaeda 
members 
in 
Bosnia 
and
Herzegovina; and
Whereas Croatia shares the common interest and values of
the free and democratic world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends the Republic of Croatia for the
significant progress it has made during the past dec-
ade, and encourages its democratic orientation and
further strengthening of respect for human rights,
the rule of law, and the free market;
•HRES 454 IH
(2) supports the aspirations of Croatia to be-
come a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Orga-
nization (NATO), welcomes its commitment to the
reforms required for NATO membership, acknowl-
edges the importance of its continued commitment
to those reforms, and congratulates it on its accept-
ance into the Membership Action Plan at the NATO
Ministerial in Reykjavik, Iceland;
(3) encourages Croatia’s continued contribu-
tions in bringing peace, stability, and prosperity to
the region of South Central Europe, including con-
tinuing its cooperation with the International Crimi-
nal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; and
(4) recognizes the important role of the Cro-
atian-American 
community 
in 
supporting 
the
strengthening of bilateral relations between the
United States and Croatia.
Æ