[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 141 (Monday, October 18, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H10155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 KAZAKHSTAN MAKING PROGRESS IN DEMOCRACY, FREE MARKETS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gutknecht). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Metcalf) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, I return this week from monitoring an 
election in Kazakhstan. The election to the lower house of Kazakhstan's 
parliament, the Majilis, has been described by the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe as a ``tentative step in the 
country's transition to democracy.''
  While the election was not perfect, the Kasakhs acknowledged this, it 
was an important step toward true representative self-government.
  I have heard many negative comments towards the Kasakh government 
recently. Certainly the attempted transfer of MIG 21s to North Korea 
was a major security concern for the United States. However, the Kasakh 
government dealt with this matter swiftly, fired those responsible, and 
put in place mechanisms to prevent this from occurring again.
  More importantly, we are not hearing the positive steps occurring in 
Kazakhstan. The Kasakh government is privatizing state assets, 
encouraging small business, and taking seriously the business of 
doling, of building real democratic institutions. Do not forget, 
voluntarily, Kazakhstan unilaterally disarmed its nuclear arsenal.
  The United States needs to recognize that this secular nation, 
bordered by Russia on the north, China to the east, and several nations 
to the south and west that may export Islamic fundamentalism, really 
wants an economic and strategic relationship with us.
  They understand that we want to see evolving liberal democratic 
institutions, free markets, and a real respect for human rights. We 
need to understand that Kazakhstan has only 7 years under its belt as 
an independent nation, and that they are taking important steps in 
these matters.
  Let us look at Kazakhstan as an evolving partner, and let us reward 
their important steps in the fields of democracy, free markets, human 
rights with a stronger diplomatic and economic relationship. I invite 
my colleagues to visit this beautiful country and see for themselves 
the progress that is being made.

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