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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release November 12, 1999

          SUSPENSION OF ENTRY AS IMMIGRANTS AND NONIMMIGRANTS
         OF PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPRESSION OF THE CIVILIAN
           POPULATION IN KOSOVO OR FOR POLICIES THAT OBSTRUCT
            DEMOCRACY IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
       (SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO) ("FRY") OR OTHERWISE LEND SUPPORT
            TO THE CURRENT GOVERNMENTS OF THE FRY AND OF THE
                           REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

                             - - - - - - -

            BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                             A PROCLAMATION

In light of the actions of President Slobodan Milosevic and other officials of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) ("FRY") and the Republic of Serbia against elements of the civilian population of Kosovo, including actions within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; in light of actions being taken by the Milosevic regime to obstruct democracy and to suppress an independent media and freedom of the press in the FRY, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo; and in light of the ongoing efforts of the Milosevic regime and its supporters to thwart the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries against the FRY, I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to suspend the entry into the United States of certain officials of the FRY Government and the Government of the Republic of Serbia and of other persons who either act in support of such officials' policies or who are closely associated with such officials.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, by the powers vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and non-immigrant entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided for in sections 2 through 4 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States. I do therefore hereby proclaim that:

Section 1. The immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of the following persons is hereby suspended:

(a) Slobodan Milosevic and other persons who, as senior FRY or Serbian officials or as members of the FRY and/or Serbian military or paramilitary forces, formulated, implemented, or carried out repressive actions against the civilian population in Kosovo;

(b) Officials of the Government of the FRY or of the Republic of Serbia and FRY nationals who formulate, implement, or carry out policies obstructing or suppressing freedom of speech or of the press in the FRY, Serbia, Montenegro, or Kosovo, or who otherwise are obstructing efforts to establish a peaceful and stable democracy in these areas;

(c) Officials of the Government of the FRY or of the Republic of Serbia and FRY nationals who, individually or as officers or employees of business or financial entities, engage in financial transactions that materially support the Government of the FRY, the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, or members of the Milosevic regime; and

(d) Any spouse, minor child, close relative, or close personal associate of any person described in subsections (a) through (c) above, if the entry into the United States of such spouse, minor child, close relative, or close personal associate would not be in the interests of the United States in light of the objectives of this proclamation.

Sec. 2. Section 1 shall not apply with respect to any person otherwise covered by section 1 where the entry of such person would not be contrary to the interests of the United States.

Sec. 3. Persons covered by sections 1 and 2 shall be identified by the Secretary of State, or the Secretary's designee, in the Secretary or the Secretary's designee's sole discretion, pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary may establish under section 5 below.

Sec. 4. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to derogate from United States Government obligations under applicable international agreements.

Sec. 5. The Secretary of State shall have responsibility to implement this proclamation pursuant to procedures the Secretary may establish.

Sec. 6. This proclamation is effective immediately and shall remain in effect, in whole or in part, until such time as the Secretary of State determines that it is no longer necessary and should be terminated, in whole or in part.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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