Chris Smith: “as Chairman of both the Helsinki Commission and the House International Relations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and…”

“as Chairman of both the Helsinki Commission and the House International Relations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and Human Rights, I am particularly supportive of many portions of this Foreign Operations bill for Fiscal Year 2001. The section on ``Assistance to Eastern Europe and the Baltic States'' is one of the items in which I have a strong interest. This assistance has made a difference in many countries. Given the fact that the bill leaves FY 2001 assistance at FY 2000 levels, I want to state that, in southeastern Europe, our priority list should begin with a focus on the need for democratic change to Serbia. The people of Serbia deserve it; right now they are facing a major crackdown by the Milosevic regime on their basic rights and freedoms. Democratic change in Serbia is in the U.S. interest. Building democracy and prosperity throughout the region, including in Kosovo and Bosnia, would then be easier, making our assistance there more effective. Until Milosevic is stopped, we face the possibility of more conflict in the region, and the need for additional millions of dollars for humanitarian aid, reconstruction and possibly military intervention in both a peacemaking and a peacekeeping capacity.”