[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 105 (Monday, September 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1437]]



HONORING KESSAI NOTE'S FIRST VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AS PRESIDENT OF 
                    THE REPUBLIC OF MARSHALL ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 11, 2000

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, today I join with many of my colleagues in 
offering a heartfelt welcome to the new President of the Republic of 
Marshall Islands (RMI)--Kessai Note. It is his first visit to our 
country since becoming President and it represents an affirmation of 
the strong ties between our two countries.
  President Note was at the forefront of the movement to establish the 
Marshall Islands as a self-governing democracy. However, he has also 
always been a strong supporter of RMI's uniquely close and mutually 
beneficial bilateral relationship with the United States. Our long-term 
military alliance and permanent strategic partnership allows for a U.S. 
presence on Kwajalein Atoll, the site of a vital U.S. Army ballistic 
missile systems command.
  In addition to recognizing the partnership between the U.S. and RMI, 
I would also like to commend the long-standing friendship between 
Israel and the RMI. Israel was one of the first countries to support 
the RMI's entry into the United Nations. Since it became a member, the 
RMI, along with the United States, has been one of Israel's staunchest 
supporters in the United Nations. Israel has further befriended the RMI 
by providing technical assistance and educational grants to the 
Republic's people.
  Having experienced their own acute suffering and pain as a result of 
nuclear tests conducted in the Marshall Islands, the people of RMI have 
reached out to their Jewish neighbors, committing themselves to 
``putting faces on human tragedies while holding parties responsible 
for their actions.''
  Mr. Speaker, President Note's presence here today in our nation's 
Capitol attests to the longstanding friendship between the United 
States and the Republic of Marshall Islands. I hope my colleagues will 
join with me in commending both the nation and its President.

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