[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        LITHUANIA'S NATIONAL DAY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Friday, February 16th is Lithuania's 
National Day marking the day in 1918 when the Lithuanian National 
Assembly declared independence after World War I.
  But Lithuania was not ``new'' in 1918; it simply took its place among 
modern, democratic nation-states after an ancient history of a distinct 
culture and people. The Baltic peoples settled in the Baltic region 
during the second millennium BC, and the Medieval Lithuanian empire 
stretched for a time from the Baltic to Balkans and lasted hundreds of 
years.
  But February 16th carried a special meaning for Lithuanians during 
the dark days of Soviet occupation. Lithuanians carried their hopes and 
dreams for freedom, democracy, and independence in their hearts and 
marked that special day silently or risked persecution by the KGB. Woe 
to those who showed the Lithuanian flag or celebrated on February 16th. 
They risked being hauled off to jail or into exile.
  On March 1, 1990, Lithuania re-asserted its independence from the 
domination of the Soviet Union. Lithuania led the way for other Soviet 
Republics to throw off the yoke of Soviet Communist imperialism, 
resulting in the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
  This declaration was not without cost. In January 1991, Soviet 
paratroopers stormed the Press House in Vilnius, injuring four people. 
Barricades were set up in front of the Lithuanian Parliament, the 
Seimas. On January 13, 1991, Soviet forces attacked the television 
station and tower in Vilnius, killing 14 Lithuanians. One woman was 
killed when she tried to block a Soviet armored personnel carrier. Five 
hundred people were injured during these attacks. Just last month, 
Lithuanians commemorated the tenth anniversary of those tragic events.
  But these courageous Lithuanians did not suffer and die in vain. 
Lithuania has now become a vibrant democracy. It has established a 
free-market economy and the rule of law. Lithuania wants to be fully 
integrated into Europe, and is seeking membership in the European Union 
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  The United States always refused to recognize the Soviet domination 
of the Baltic states. The U.S. position was that it would only 
recognize a free and independent Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. What 
we celebrate this year is what we must help preserve next year and the 
year after that. We must carry on that principle today by being sure 
that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are admitted into NATO as an 
unequivocal statement that we will never again tolerate domination of 
the Baltic states.
  I support admitting the Baltic states into NATO and I hope my 
colleagues here in the Senate will support their entry also in the next 
round of NATO expansion.
  That debate we will save for another day, but I am sure all my 
colleagues can agree on the importance of Lithuania's contribution to 
freedom and independence for the former Soviet Republics and will join 
me in congratulating Lithuania on its National Day.
  I am honored that my mother was born in the tiny Lithuanian village 
of Jurbarkas many years ago; that she came to this country proud of her 
heritage, but determined to be an American citizen. My late brother, 
Bill, and I visited Lithuania a few years ago and found that we have 
cousins in Jurbarkas that we had not known we had. For our family, the 
Iron Curtain literally cut off the Lithuanian branch from their 
American cousins. This Senator, the son of that proud Lithuanian 
mother, now serves in this great body and takes pride in being able to 
rise and salute the Lithuanian people on their independence.

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