[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3539-S3540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ANNIVERSARY OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE

 Mr. REED. Mr. President, today we celebrate the 178th 
Anniversary of the revolution that won Greece's independence from the 
Ottoman Empire. I am proud to join with forty-nine of my colleagues in 
sponsoring Senate Resolution 20 which designates today ``Greek 
Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American 
Democracy.''
  The Greeks have been members of the community in Rhode Island for 
over one hundred years. Over 6,000 residents of the state claimed Greek 
heritage in the last Census. When the Greeks first came to the New 
England, they worked in factories and on the waterfront. The 
descendants of these first immigrants continue to prosper and enrich 
the Northeast and the rest of the country through their contributions 
to banking, medicine, the tourism industry, and the arts.
  Edith Hamilton praised Greeks in this quote, ``to rejoice in life, to 
find the world beautiful and delightful to live in, was a mark of the 
Greek spirit which distinguished it from all that had gone before. It 
is a vital distinction.''
  I have been grateful for this spirit, energy, and support in the 
Rhode Island Greek community, and, for a very long time, I wished to 
visit Greece and Cyprus. This summer, I finally had that opportunity. 
On my trip, I had the pleasure of meeting Ambassador Burns and the U.S. 
Ambassador to Cyprus, Kenneth Brill. I also met and had candid 
conversations with Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Greek 
Defense Minister. In addition, I had the chance to tour the Green Line 
in Cyprus and speak with Dame Ann Hercus, the newly appointed Chief of 
the United Nations mission and General De Vagera, the force commander.
  During my visit, I was impressed by the beauty of these countries and 
the hospitality of the people of Cyprus and Greece. However, I was also 
overwhelmed by the consequences of Turkey's 1974 invasion of Cyprus. 
The division of the island saps the economic vitality of a region rich 
in resources. The inability to move goods, people, or services between 
the two parts of the island stymies growth.

[[Page S3540]]

  We must continue to work to resolve the Cyprus problem and reduce the 
tensions that exist between Greece and Turkey. When I was a member of 
the House of Representatives, I cosponsored numerous legislative 
initiatives to this end, and I will continue to advocate for such 
solutions as a Senator.
  For today, let us celebrate the anniversary of Greek Independence, 
the richness of the Greek heritage and legacy of democracy that country 
gave to the world.

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