March 12, 2008
Verbatim, as
delivered
Statement
of Chairman Berman at hearing, “The Balkans After the
Independence of Kosovo and on the Eve of NATO Enlargement”
The people of Kosovo will
forever mark February 17th as a milestone: On that day, Kosovo declared its
independence and ended nearly a decade of uncertainty as a UN
protectorate. The new country has been
formally recognized by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and
a number of other countries. I believe
this step will help shore up the security and stability of the Balkans.
I congratulate
President Bush for his leadership on this issue. I also want to acknowledge our diplomatic
corps in Pristina for their untiring efforts to
oversee the process of stabilization, negotiation, and the resolution of
Kosovo’s final status. And I want to pay
tribute to the Kosovar leadership, which demonstrated
remarkable patience and maturity in the face of growing public pressure.
Questions have been
raised in some sectors of the international community about the legality and
legitimacy of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, as well as America’s
recognition of the new country. I support the position of the Administration and
of our leading European allies that the situation of Kosovo is unique, given
the history of ethnic cleansing, as well as the unprecedented level of
involvement by the United Nations and NATO.
A year ago I visited
Kosovo with Senator John McCain, no less, at a time when he was visiting the
Balkans instead of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. I was struck by the immense need for economic
development. As long as Kosovo’s final
status remained unresolved, businesses were reluctant to invest there and
international financial institutions were unable to offer the needed monetary
assistance. Now that Kosovo’s political
status has been clarified, its leaders must focus on building a strong,
healthy, and self-sustaining economy.
The challenge is
immense: Kosovo has unacceptably high unemployment, is plagued by corruption,
and has experienced limited economic growth.
But it also has tremendous assets.
Among them: rich mineral resources, a young and resilient population,
and a robust drive to succeed. The donors’ conference scheduled for this summer
should enable Americans, Europeans and our international partners to devise an
effective strategy to help boost Kosovo’s economic development.
In addition, the
leaders of Kosovo face the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that that
fledgling country remains a safe and hospitable home for all citizens –
including the Serb minority population.
I welcome the government’s early efforts to implement the wise
recommendations made by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who served as the
UN envoy to Kosovo during the status negotiations. These recommendations included the passage of laws
on the protection of minorities, police, and local government.
I was also pleased
that Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci appointed two ethnic Serbs to his cabinet. However, I
am troubled by reports that in response to intimidation from officials in
Belgrade, these ministers are currently sitting at home rather than continuing
to work collaboratively with their Albanian colleagues.
The international
community, particularly the NATO Kosovo Force, should continue to send strong
and unambiguous signals that the minority communities can count on their
protection. The Serbian minority must be
allowed to prosper and participate in the new country.
While we recognize
the immense pain that the resolution of Kosovo’s final status has caused for
many Serbs, it was shameful to see the US embassy in Belgrade in flames while
Serbian police officers were idle bystanders watching the fire. When Bosnian-Serb protesters tried to launch
a similar attack in Banja Luka, police there were far
more responsible in preventing it.
Serbian political leaders must follow the rule of law, behave as a
mature democracy, and urge restraint by Serbs throughout the region.
The recent
re-election of Serbian President Boris Tadic was a
welcome sign that the majority of Serbs decidedly do want a
Western-oriented future. The voters
supported a candidate who clearly stated his European aspirations over those
who would have isolated Serbia.
My strong wish is
that the Serbian people will reaffirm this decision in the snap parliamentary
elections called after the collapse of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s
government this past weekend. Voters will have the opportunity to indicate
strong support for a Serbia that is firmly rooted in the Euro-Atlantic
community rather than governed by radicals who seek closer ties to Russia.
Although Russia has
presented itself as a good friend to Serbia and has been richly rewarded for
its support with a 51 percent share of Serbia’s state-owned oil company, the
Serb people must realize that their future lies to the west, and not to the
east.
As
it happens, this latest chapter in Balkan history is unfolding on the eve of the
latest round of NATO enlargement. In particular, three Adriatic countries –
Albania, Croatia and Macedonia – are seeking an invitation to join this
military alliance at the Bucharest Summit in April.
There
certainly are strong arguments for incorporating all three countries,
particularly given the need to stabilize the region as the independence of
Kosovo brings to a close the final stage of the dissolution of Yugoslavia. And of course, there is a widely-shared
desire to welcome the region into the Euro-Atlantic community.
However,
in order for NATO to stay strong and effective, it is important that new
members fully meet the membership criteria.
Today I invite Assistant Secretary Fried to provide an assessment of the
current readiness of these countries and their likely prospects for
membership. The committee would also
welcome your thoughts on whether the Administration plans to support the
extension of Membership Action Plans to the countries Georgia and Ukraine.
Over
a century ago, the geopolitical term “Balkanization” emerged to denote what
happens when empires or countries fragment into smaller states that are often
hostile to one another. It is my hope
that during the 21st Century this term will fall into disuse.
For
many years, the Balkan region has been the stage for compelling and dramatic
action that plays out in unforeseen ways.
It remains a site of strategic importance to the United States and
Europe. This committee looks forward to
discussing the changes and challenges in the Balkans today with our
distinguished witness.