[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12625-12626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            TRADE RELATIONS REGARDING PRODUCTS OF KAZAKHSTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Congressional 
Record the following letter I received from A. Machkevitch

[[Page 12626]]

the President of the Jewish Congress of Kazakhstan in support of H.R. 
1318, legislation that would authorize President Bush to extend normal 
trade relations treatment to the products of Kazakhstan.

                                Jewish Congress of Kazakhstan,

                                       Kynaev sir., June 27, 2001.
     Hon. Robert Wexler,
     Member of Congress, Cannon HOB, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Wexler: The Jewish Congress of Kazakhstan 
     welcomes the decision of a number of US Congress members, in 
     particular Senator S. Brownback and Congressman J. Pitts on 
     termination of Section IV of Trade Law of 1974 in relation to 
     Kazakhstan and granting the country a permanent Regime of 
     Normal Trade Relationship with the USA.
       Undoubtedly, at the time of this Section adoption the 
     decision of American legislators was timely and justified. 
     One can not deny the fact that the communist regime tried all 
     ways to oppress and limit rights of the country's Jewry. 
     Similar to the representatives of many other nationalities of 
     the Soviet Union we could neither openly declare ourselves as 
     ethnic group, nor visit our relatives abroad, as well as 
     freely profess our religion. In this respect we are immensely 
     grateful to the American people demonstrating concern and 
     sympathy with our life at the time of hardships. The 
     amendment introduced by the two prominent US Statesmen--
     Jackson and Vanick--warmed our hearts.
       However, the environment has changed. The Union broke up. 
     Having cast off the totalitarianism chains, Kazakhstan has 
     built a new independent state where the great principles of 
     political and economic freedom, parity of rights and 
     opportunities are being practiced. Today Kazakhstan is a 
     democratic nation with steadily developing economy and fair 
     chances to become a stronghold of security and democracy in 
     the Central Asian region.
       The young State of Kazakhstan emerged on the background of 
     unique ethnic situation. Kazakhstan was the only former 
     soviet republic in the region without distinct prevalence of 
     a single ethnic group. Over 100 nationalities and ethnic 
     groups living together learned to coexist without internal 
     conflicts and discords to much extent owing to the efforts of 
     the country's leadership headed by President Nursultan 
     Nazarbayev.
       Realizing that the majority, of peoples of Kazakhstan 
     subjected to mass repression at the time of stalinisim and 
     fascism have been deprived of possibility to develop their 
     culture and language, the Government of Kazakhstan encourages 
     creation of ethnic and cultural centers in all regions of the 
     country. The Jewry is not an exclusion. The only Jewish 
     school in the Central Asian region successfully functions in 
     our country, construction of 10 new synagogues is underway in 
     the largest cities of Kazakhstan. In general, 3000 religious 
     organizations of 46 confessions function in Kazakhstan. None 
     of the other countries in the region can demonstrate such 
     achievements.
       In our sincere belief the Kazakhstan Government's 
     aspiration to preserve and strengthen stability and 
     interethnic concord both in the country and the whole region 
     should be encouraged by the USA. We proceed from the fact 
     that a country which liberated the minds of people would be 
     to a larger extent successful in achieving prosperity than a 
     society burdened with heavy heritage of the past, such as 
     amendment of Jackson--Vanick.
       In this context the Jewish community of Kazakhstan calls 
     upon you to exert your influence in freeing Kazakhstan from 
     this rudiment of the past, which would undoubtedly strengthen 
     relationship between our countries and testify to the fact 
     that voices of tens of thousands of the Kazakhstan Jews have 
     been once again heard by our American friends.
           Yours Sincerely,
                                                   A. Machkevitch,
                                                        President.

     

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