[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 126 (Friday, September 24, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11446-S11447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, in 1991, the Ukrainian people, 
after decades of difficult and often tragic struggle, won their right 
to self-determination. They declared their independence,

[[Page S11447]]

as did other peoples of the former Soviet Union, fulfilling the wishes 
of generations of Ukrainians.
  Eight years have now passed since that dramatic time, and Ukraine and 
U.S.-Ukrainian relations are stronger than ever. We now have a U.S.-
Ukraine Joint Commission, chaired by Vice President Gore and President 
Kuchma, which seeks to improve bilateral relations on a wide range of 
issues.
  A significant part of this effort is the sister city project to help 
Ukrainian communities develop more effective local government. I'm 
proud that the City of Lowell in Massachusetts is a sister city with 
the Ukrainian city of Berdiansk in this worthwhile project.
  I especially commend the members of the Ukrainian-American community 
for their constant courage and commitment in championing the cause of 
Ukrainian independence over the years. They never gave up this 
struggle, even during the darkest days of the Cold War. They can be 
proud of their achievements. Their efforts in recent years have made 
Ukraine the third largest annual recipient of U.S. assistance. I'm 
prouder than ever to support their impressive efforts.
  I also commend the Ukrainian-American community for its ongoing work 
to help American high school students understand that the Great Famine 
of the 1930s was a man-made terror-famine, used by Stalin to suppress 
the Ukrainian people. Millions of Ukrainians died in this great crime 
against humanity.
  Sadly, the twentieth century has been filled with too many of these 
massive crimes. We must never forget the atrocities that have been 
inflicted on millions of citizens in other lands, including the 
Ukrainian people. We must do all we can to build a better world in the 
years ahead.

                          ____________________