[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 91 (Thursday, July 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1405-E1406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AN OPEN LETTER TO THE G7 LEADERS ON THE EVE OF RUSSIA'S G8 SUMMIT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROGER F. WICKER

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2006

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has 
described the G8 as ``a group of democracies . . . fully committed to 
free market principles, free trade, rule of law.''
  On July 15, the Russian Federation will chair the Group of Eight, G8, 
for the first time since its full integration in 2002 by hosting the 
annual G8 Summit in the city of St. Petersburg. While Russia's 
presidency of the G8 was originally intended to showcase its economic 
and social progress and demonstrate its further integration with the 
global community, a growing number of observers strongly feel that 
Russia is not meeting the democratic and free market principles that 
are the basis of the G8.
  I share with my colleagues a recent letter that was circulated prior 
to the G8 Summit, from nearly 100 diplomats, politicians, academicians 
and civil society leaders from Russia, Europe and the United States. 
The letter, which includes notable figures from each of the G7 nations 
and Russia, was designed to bring attention to Russia's faltering 
democracy and human rights record. It was released at ``The Other 
Russia'' summit, organized by Garry Kasparov, former world chess 
champion and Russian political activist, to examine these problems and 
to highlight what they will mean for the future of Russia.
  Mr. Speaker, Russia is an important ally to the United States in many 
ways although we face a number of disagreements with them on pressing 
global issues. What should not be at issue is the need for an open 
society in Russia that advances democracy, human rights and free 
enterprise. This goal is critical for the development of U.S.-Russia 
relations and the future of Russia itself.

         An Open Letter to the G7 Leaders ``The Other Russia''

       We wish to express our gratitude to the courageous men and 
     women attending ``The Other Russia'' Summit today and 
     tomorrow in Moscow. This alternative to the G8 summit has 
     been organized by Garry Kasparov, Lyudmila Alekseyeva and 
     other Russian human rights and political leaders. The 
     laudable purpose of the ``Other Russia'' Summit is to focus 
     the world's attention on the increasingly autocratic and 
     repressive policies of the Russian Government.
       ``The Other Russia'' will bring together distinguished 
     diplomats and politicians, academicians and civil society 
     leaders from Russia, Europe and the United States to examine 
     the deplorable state of human rights and the rule of law in 
     Russia. Experts will document Russia's alarming number of 
     political prisoners, the Kremlin's control over the media, 
     the dangerous increase in government corruption, the 
     continued violence in Chechnya and the return of a one-party 
     state.
       ``The Other Russia'' Summit will examine these economic and 
     political trends, hoping to provide the Russian people with a 
     clearer picture of what the further loss of human and 
     political rights will mean to them. The gathering is also 
     meant to impress upon the G7 leaders, who will be meeting 
     with Russian President Vladimir Putin this coming weekend in 
     St. Petersburg, that there is another Russia--a Russia at 
     odds with the corrupt, authoritarian regime which President 
     Putin and those around him appear resolved to impose.
       We urge our leaders--Prime Minister Tony Blair, President 
     George W. Bush, President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister 
     Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chancellor 
     Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Romano Prodi--not to 
     equivocate when they meet the Russian President this weekend. 
     He must be put on notice that Russia's

[[Page E1406]]

     current domestic and foreign policies are unacceptable to its 
     neighbors, to the international community and to many of its 
     own citizens.
       President Putin must be made to understand that fairness 
     towards his political opponents and critics, the release of 
     political prisoners and Russia's constructive engagement with 
     its neighbors in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, are the 
     standards by which his Government will be judged. Russia must 
     meet these standards of justice, freedom and of 
     internationally acceptable diplomacy if it wishes to remain a 
     member of the G8 and of the community of democratic nations.
       Today, Russia is moving in the wrong direction.
       With the re-imposition of state control of the media, the 
     nationalization of the YUKOS Oil Company, the abolition of 
     elected governors, overt and covert meddling in the affairs 
     of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Lithuania and outright support 
     for the dictatorship in Belarus, the new NGO law restricting 
     the work of human rights groups and other non-government 
     organizations in Russia, and the imprisonment of 
     political opponents like Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Mikhail 
     Trepashkin, the Government of Russia is deliberately 
     turning back the clock.
       We appeal to the G7 leaders to raise these issues directly 
     with President Putin this weekend in St. Petersburg. And we 
     salute those who are in Moscow today, meeting in a hostile 
     and dangerous environment to prove that a democratic Russia, 
     ``The Other Russia,'' does indeed exist.
       Signatories: (Institutions are listed for purposes of 
     identification only.)
       Dimitar Abadjiev--European Parliament Observer, Bulgaria;
       Dr. Patrick Aeberhard--President, Medecins du Monde;
       Vo Van Ai--President, Forum Asia Democracy;
       Doron Arazi--Historian;
       Timothy Garton Ash--Oxford University, UK;
       Brian Atwood--Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 
     University of Minnesota, US; Former US Agency for 
     International Development (USAID) administrator;
       Paul Berman--Writer, US;
       Carl Bildt--Former Prime Minister of Sweden;
       Roberta Bonazzi--Director, European Foundation for 
     Democracy;
       Elena Bonner--Honorary Chair, The Andrei;
       Sakharov Foundation;
       Michael Bourdeaux--Founder/President, Keston Institute, 
     Oxford University, UK;
       Pascal Bruckner--Philosopher, France;
       Ian J. Brzezinski--Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
     Defense for European and NATO Policy;
       Hans Christoph Buch--Writer, Germany;
       Vladimir Bukovsky--Cambridge University, UK;
       Leos Carax--Film director, France;
       Patrice Chereau--Film and theater director, France;
       Daniel Cohn-Bendit--Member, European;
       Parliament, Germany;
       Pierre Daix--Writer, France;
       Prof. Nicholas Daniloff--Northeastern University, US;
       Ruth Daniloff--Writer, US;
       Fertilio Dario--Comitatus libertates;
       Franco Debennedetti--Senator, Italy;
       Martin Dewhirst--University of Glasgow, Scotland;
       Freimut Duve--Former member of the German Bundestag; 
     Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
     Representative;
       Dr. Marek Edelman--Former dissident, Leader of the Warsaw 
     ghetto uprising;
       Humphry Crum Ewing--Chairman, The Standish Group;
       Edourad Fillias--President, Alternative Liberale, France;
       Paolo Flores de Arcais--Director, Micromega, France;
       Carl Gershman--President, National Endowment for Democracy;
       Andre Glucksmann--Philosopher, France;
       Alex Goldfarb--Foundation for Civil Liberties, US;
       Adam Gopnik--Writer, US;
       Veronique Nahoum Grappe--Anthropologist, France;
       Andrew P. Grigorenko--President, General Petro Grigorenko 
     Foundation, Inc;
       Robert Halfon--Political Director, Conservative Friends of 
     Israel;
       Daniel Hamilton--Johns Hopkins University, US;
       Arthur Hartman--Former US Ambassador to the Soviet Union 
     and France;
       Satu Hassi--Member, European Parliament, Finland;
       Roger Helmer--Member, European Parliament, UK;
       Mary Holland--New York University, US;
       Marie Holzmann--President, Droits de l'homme in China, 
     France;
       Robert Hunter--Former US ambassador to NATO;
       Toomas Hendrik Ilves--Member, European Parliament, Estonia;
       Bruce P. Jackson--President, Project on Transitional 
     Democracies;
       Kjell Olaf Jense--President, Pen Club, Norway;
       Alan Johnson--Director, Democratya, UK;
       Tunne Kelam--Member, European Parliament, Estonia;
       Bogdan Klich--Member, European Parliament, Poland;
       Bernard Kouchner--Former UN ambassador to Kosovo; Founder, 
     Medecins sans Frontieres, Medecins du Monde, France;
       Irina Krasovskaya--President, We Remember Foundation, 
     Belarus;
       Guntars Krasts--Member, European Parliament; Former Prime 
     Minister of Latvia.
       William Kristol--The Weekly Standard, US;
       Girts Valdis Kristovskis--Member, European Parliament, 
     Former President of the Lithuanian Parliament;
       Vytautas Landsbergis--Member, European; Parliament, Former 
     President of the Lithuanian Parliament;
       Bernard Henri Levy--Philosopher, France;
       Ekkehard Maass--German-Caucasian society, Germany;
       Giwi Margwelschwili--Schriftsteller, Germany;
       Cliff May--President, Foundation for the Defense of 
     Democracies;
       Michael McFaul--Stanford University, US;
       Alan Mendoza--Executive Director, Henry Jackson; Society, 
     UK;
       Marianne Mikko--Member, European Parliament, Estonia;
       Tim Montgomerie--Editor, ConservativeHome.com;
       Martin Palous--Permanent Czech Republic; Representative to 
     the United Nations; former Czech Ambassador to the US;
       Carlo di Pamparato--Children of Chechnya Action; Relief 
     Mission (CCHARM), UK;
       Richard Pipes--Harvard University, US;
       Daniel Pipes--Writer, US;
       Daniel Pletka--American Enterprise Institute (AEI), US;
       Oksana Ragazzi--UK;
       Josep Ramoneda--Philosopher, Center of Contemporain 
     Culture, Spain;
       Vanessa Redgrave--Actress;
       James Rogers--Executive Secretary, Henry Jackson Society, 
     UK;
       Jacques Rupnik--Professor of political sciences, CERI, 
     France;
       Prof. Aloyzas Sakalas--Member, European Parliament, 
     Lithuania;
       Randy Scheunemann--President, Committee for the Liberation 
     of Iraq;
       Gary Schmitt--American Enterprise Institute (AEI), US;
       Jorge Semprun--Former Minister of Culture of Spain;
       Andre Senik--Philosopher, France
       Andrew M. Sessler--Emeritus Director of the Lawrence 
     Berkeley National Laboratory;
       Andrzei Seweryn--Theater director, Comedie; Francaise, 
     France;
       Dr. Brendan Simms--Co-President, Henry Jackson; Society, 
     UK;
       Robert Singh--Birkbeck College, University of London, UK;
       Aleksander Smolar--Historian, France/Poland;
       Bart Staes--Member, European Parliament, Belgium;
       Konrad Szymanski--Member, European; Parliament, Poland;
       Andres Tarand--Member, European Parliament, former Prime 
     Minister of Estonia;
       David Trimble--1998 Nobel Peace Laureate;
       Prof. Inese Vaidere--Member, European Parliament, Latvia;
       Ari Vatanen--Member, European Parliament, France;
       Mark von Hagen--Columbia University, US;
       Stuart Wheeler--UK;
       Richard Wilson--Harvard University, US;
       Henryk Wozniakowski--Director, ZNAK, Poland;
       Tatiana Yankelevich--Director, Sakharov Program on Human 
     Rights, Harvard University, US;
       lIyos Yannakakis--Professor, France.

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