[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thune). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 83rd 
anniversary of Lithuanian Independence Day and the 10th anniversary of 
freedom from Soviet occupation. I am especially proud of my Lithuanian 
heritage at this time of the year.
  From the first Independence Day on February 16, 1918 until their 
reassertion of their independence on February 16, 1991, freedom from 
foreign domination has been a hard-earned dream for the Republic of 
Lithuania.
  The Lithuanian people withstood unspeakable abuse under Soviet 
military forces that occupied Lithuania from 1940 to 1991 with dignity 
and restraint. In Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, there are many 
reminders kept of the sacrifices made for freedom. The Vilnius KGB 
museum consists of a basement jail that has cells and torture chambers 
where secret police detained and interrogated Lithuanian prisoners 
before sending them into Siberian exile. The Lithuanian parliament 
building hosts a section of bullet-scarred barricades that were used in 
1990 to ward off Russian tanks. Also, the Vilnius TV tower, which is 
the tallest structure in the city, has a monument to the 14 unarmed, 
freedom-loving Lithuanians who were murdered on January 13, 1991 by 
Soviet soldiers during their attempt to take over the tower.
  In the 10 short years since the reestablishment of its independence, 
the Republic of Lithuania has restored democracy, ensured human rights, 
secured the rule of law, developed a free market economy, cultivated 
friendly relations with neighboring countries and successfully pursued 
a course of integration into the European Union. 2001 will be another 
critical year for Lithuania as it works to attract foreign investment 
and gain admission into NATO. Lithuania deserves our recognition for 
its perseverance in the face of immense challenges. It has proven not 
only to be a faithful friend to the United States but also a tenacious 
ally, as demonstrated by their recent assistance in our peacekeeping 
efforts in Bosnia. I hope we will not jeopardize their future security 
by withholding NATO membership beyond 2002.
  In closing, I would like to thank the outgoing Ambassador from 
Lithuania, Mr. Stasys Sakalauskas, for his service in Washington, D.C. 
and his dedication to improving U.S.-Lithuania relations. I also 
welcome the new Ambassador who will be named at the end of this month, 
and I look forward to working with him.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 83rd anniversary 
of Lithuanian independence.

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