[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATION OF UKRAINE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ROBERT G. TORRICELLI

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 1996

  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the newly 
independent nation of Ukraine which observes the 5th Anniversary of its 
independence on August 24. Over the past 5 years, the people of Ukraine 
have made dramatic progress in their struggle to build a free and 
democratic society. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe and other monitoring groups report that Ukraine has the finest 
human rights record of all former Soviet republics. This summer, the 
Ukrainian Parliament passed a new Constitution which enshrines the 
principles of liberty, equal rights and free enterprise. Working with 
American corporations and private voluntary groups, President Leonid 
Kuchma has mounted an inspiring campaign to overcome the tragic legacy 
of the Chornobly nuclear disaster, to privatize local enterprises and 
to revitalize the eternal life of ethnic and religious minorities which 
had long been suppressed under the Soviet system.
  I am proud to acknowledge the remarkable accomplishments of the 
Ukrainian-American community in my home state of New Jersey which kept 
faith with the people of Ukraine during the long dark years of Soviet 
rule when hopes of winning freedom seemed to be remote and dim.
  I especially wish to acknowledge the outstanding work of the Children 
of Choronbyl Relief Fund (CCRF), based in Short Hills, NJ, which over 
the past 6 years has become the leading provider of medical aid to 
Ukraine. On a modest budget of under $3 million, CCRF gas leveraged 
more that $40 million worth of humanitarian aid to the hospitals which 
specialize in the treatment of radiation victims. I am pleased to 
support a new Women's & Children's Health Initiative which CCRF has 
launched in three provinces in Ukraine with a grant from the Monsanto 
Company to combat the high rate of infant mortality in rural regions. 
Monsanto has helped many Ukrainian farmers to quadruple their crop 
yields with modern agricultural techniques. Its unique partnership with 
CCRF offers a model for similar initiatives in other developing 
countries.
  We should all do everything in our power to promote the cause of 
freedom in Ukraine, to build a health future for Ukraine's children and 
to strengthen the growing friendship between Ukraine and the United 
States.

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