Patrick Leahy: “In crafting this bill, Senator McConnell and I had three principal objectives with respect to the FRY. First, we want to…”

“In crafting this bill, Senator McConnell and I had three principal objectives with respect to the FRY. First, we want to send a message to Serb reformers that we strongly support their efforts. We recommend $115 million for Serbia in fiscal year 2002, a $15 million increase in United States assistance above last year. We have also provided authority for debt relief for Serbia. We were told by Serb finance officials and our Treasury Department that this is a top priority if Serbia is to attract new foreign investment, which is the key to Serbia's future economic development. Second, we want to make clear that we expect to see continued cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal and respect for the rule of law. While we fully appreciate the courage of Serb officials in arresting and transferring Milosevic to The Hague in April, since then we have seen little in the way of cooperation with the Tribunal. We are also disappointed that political prisoners continue to languish in Serb jails, even though Serb officials have acknowledged that they should be released. We therefore include language similar to last year, that links our assistance to continued progress in these areas. Finally, with respect to Montenegro, we want to provide sufficient assistance to convey our strong support for Montenegro, and at the same time ensure a proper balance within the $115 million available for the FRY.”