[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GEORGIA INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this year we celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of the establishment of the First Republic of Georgia. 
Georgia first declared independence from Russia in 1918 and was free of 
Moscow's shackles till the Red Army invasion in 1921.
  After the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia once again gained 
independence and has since been a beacon of hope in a region full of 
turmoil and corruption. Their faithful commitment to a strong democracy 
with free and fair elections serves as a shining example for other 
countries in Eastern Europe.
  Georgia has become one of the most valued partners of the United 
States and the European community. Russia however does not respect 
Georgia's independence and has occupied large portions of its territory 
since 2008.
  The hungry Russian Bear wants a return to its imperial days. The 
Kremlin will not stop until all former Soviet republics return to its 
orbit.
  The United States must remain dedicated to upholding Georgia's 
sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. So that in 
another hundred years, we will still be standing side-by-side with a 
democratic and prosperous Georgia.
  And that's just the way it is.

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