Secretary of State Letter to Senator D’Amato
WASHINGTON
MAY 24 1991
Dear Al:
I am writing to advise you of several steps we are taking to express our grave concern about continuing human rights violations by the Republic of Serbia in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo, efforts by the government of Serbia block the orderly transfer of constitutional authority within the Yugoslav Presidency, and rising ethnic tensions that threaten Yugoslavia?s transition to democracy and free markets.
The United States will issue a statement criticizing the Serbian leadership both for its human rights violations in Kosovo and its current efforts to overthrow the constitution; invoke Step Two of the CSCE Human Dimension Mechanism in Yugoslavia with regard to Serbian human rights violations, and urge other CSCE members to follow suit; and not support new OPIC projects in the Serbian Republic.
The intent of these measures is to underscore the danger of international isolation faced by those in Yugoslavia who would resort to repression, violence and unrnstitutional means to achieve their political aims. We intend to review the above measures in light of the further progress of Yugoslavia and its constituent republics toward full respect for CSCE principles, both with respect to human rights and to the peaceful and democratic settlement of disputes.
The human rights situation in Kosovo must be an integral part of a peaceful and democratic resolution of the Yugoslav crisis. We believe that coordinated approaches to this problem among CSCE members will be mutually reinforcing, as have been our recent parallel demarches with the European Community in opposition to the use of force and in favor of a democratic, unified Yugoslavia achieved through dialogue. We also see continued pressure through the CSCE Human Dimensions Mechanism process as a particularly effective way to bring home to Yugoslav and Serbian authorities the depth and breadth of international concern about the Kosoyo situation.
The Honorable
Alfonse M. D?Amato,
United States Senate.
In light of serious flaws in the electoral process in the Republic of Serbia, I have invoked the certification mechanism of Section 599A of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Act, 1991. Certification signals our deep concern about the degree of commitment of the present Serbian leadership to the democratic political process, while allowing for continued U.S. support for Yugoslav economic reform on a selective basis, both through the IMF and World Bank and through bilateral technical assistance designed to support those at the federal and republic levels who are committed to market reform. The Department will forward this certification to the Congress under separate cover.
We have also followed up on the intensive diplomatic exchanges we have been having both in Yugoslavia and with our friends and allies with regard to the ongoing crisis in Yugoslavia, with demarches relating to the recent efforts by the Serbian government to block the orderly transfer of constitutional authority in the country.
We have made it clear to Yugoslav and Serbian authorities that resorting to violence and repression, and parallel efforts to block the constitutional transfer of authority, are inconsistent with democratic principles and raise grave risks of disintegration and internal conflicts.
It is our hope that our efforts, in parallel with those of the European Community and other CSCE members, will constitute a clear message of opposition to the use of repression, violence and unconstitutional means to block democratic change or undermine the process of dialogue in Yugoslavia. As the President recently wrote to the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Europe has experienced breathtaking change over the past few years. It would be a tragedy if Yugoslavia failed to grasp the possibilities of this moment in history to establish a new basis for democratic unity, and to join in the development of a Europe whole and free.
Sincerely yours,
James A. Baker, III