[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SILK ROAD STRATEGY ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 2, 1999

  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1152, 
the Silk Road Strategy Act. I commend my colleague, Mr. Bereuter, for 
championing this important legislation that will greatly benefit 
countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
  The Silk Road Strategy Act is a proactive policy of engagement, which 
authorizes U.S. assistance to support the economic and political 
independence of Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, 
Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Since the breakup of 
the Soviet Union, after decades of Communist rule, these countries have 
faced a tough road toward economic development and prosperity, and the 
cultivation of a democratic society.
  With this in mind, the U.S. must actively engage this region to 
ensure a peaceful post-Soviet era, and to protect our national 
security. Since being elected to Congress in 1996, I have worked hard 
to build bridges between the U.S. and Central Asia and the Caucasus. 
Through regular meetings with Ambassadors from this region and travel 
to Central Asia, I am keenly aware of the necessity of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, the Great Silk Road, which in ancient times joined the 
East with the West, by means of trade, cultural-humanitarian, political 
and economic ties, has a history stretching back several thousand 
years. The Great Silk Road played the role of a connecting bridge 
between countries and civilizations. It served as a channel for trade, 
which became the catalyst for the development of crafts and the active 
exchange of philosophies and cultures. The spirit of the Great Silk 
Road is what this bill before us today is about--a new Silk Road--
connecting Central Asia and the Caucasus with the United States, in an 
effort to encourage economic, cultural, and political exchange between 
our countries.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill and look forward to 
continuing working with Central Asia and Caucasus states to build 
prosperous market-oriented economies in the former Soviet Union. Again, 
I thank my colleague, Mr. Bereuter, for sponsoring this bill, and I 
urge my colleagues to support the Silk Road Strategy Act.

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