IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 36
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
MARCH 5, 1997
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 edu-
cation 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 con-
flict 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 re-
gion, including those states that gained their independ-
ence after the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Repub-
lic of Yugoslavia;
•HCON 36 IH
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia faces
important issues involving the fair and equitable treat-
ment of all of its citizens, regardless of their ethnic back-
ground;
Whereas the extraordinary census conducted by the Govern-
ment of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in
June 1994 determined that those citizens of Albanian de-
scent constitute at least 23 percent of the total popu-
lation;
Whereas Macedonia’s citizens of Albanian descent are in-
creasingly concerned to ensure fair and equitable treat-
ment as citizens of the state of Macedonia, including ap-
propriate opportunities for education at all levels of in-
struction;
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a
member of 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;
Whereas the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a
member of the Organization on Security and Cooperation
in Europe, an organization that, in the ‘‘Copenhagen
Document’’ of its 1990 Conference on the Human Di-
mension, 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;
•HCON 36 IH
and the Working Group on Ethnic Minorities of the
International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia,
to offer guidance and mediation to the Government
of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and
representatives of the Albanian minority in resolving
the issue of higher education in the Albanian lan-
guage, are commendable;
(5) the President should express to the Govern-
ment of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
the strong support of the Government of the United
States for measures that will contribute to democ-
racy and stability in the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, including efforts to ensure access to
higher education in the Albanian language;
(6) the President should offer appropriate sup-
port for the efforts of the High Commissioner on
National Minorities of the Organization on Security
and Cooperation in Europe to resolve the issue of
access to higher education in the Albanian language;
and
(7) the President should offer appropriate sup-
port for efforts by the Government of the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to ensure access to
higher education in the Albanian language, including
•HCON 36 IH
assistance for the establishment of necessary curric-
ula and the provision of textbooks and related course
materials.
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