[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17242]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  IN TRIBUTE TO ARMENIA'S 11TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Armenia 
Republic on the nation's 11th anniversary of independence. On Saturday, 
September 21, citizens of Armenia as well as people of Armenian descent 
here in the United States and around the world celebrate their 
independence from the former Soviet Union. I traveled to Armenia along 
with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who is also in the House 
Chamber this evening, during the August recess, my fifth trip there 
since independence, and I witnessed firsthand the spirit and 
determination of the Armenian people. Their spirit has to be strong, 
Mr. Speaker, because they have suffered a dual, coordinated blockade by 
Armenia's two hostile neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey, for the 
preponderance of the young country's life. Despite this overwhelming 
burden, Armenia is currently poised to become a full-fledged member of 
the World Trade Organization and has identified joining the European 
Union to be its next priority.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has a fundamental national interest in 
bringing about stability in the strategically located Caucasus region 
and in supporting those emerging nations like Armenia that share our 
values. I was very pleased to see that Armenia was one of the first 
countries to pledge military and logistical assistance after September 
11 and continue to hope that all parties that contribute in the war on 
terrorism can use that coordination as a catalyst for direct 
cooperation.
  Mr. Speaker, it was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that 
allowed the Armenian people to reestablish a state and a nation, to 
create a society where their language, culture, religion and other 
institutions would prosper. The people of Armenia have endeavored to 
build a free and proud nation based on the principles of democracy and 
a market economy. The tiny, landlocked Republic of Armenia is 
surrounded by hostile neighbors. Even in the face of this enmity, 
Armenia continues to implement economic and democratic reforms. The 
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have publicly noted 
Armenia's economic progress in recent years. Despite this progress 
under special and difficult circumstances, I saw firsthand that the 
economic reality of daily life for the people of the Republic of 
Armenia continues to be extremely hard.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Republics of Turkey and Azerbaijan will 
respond positively to Armenia's repeated offers to normalize relations. 
Specifically, I hope that Turkey will allow for the exchange of 
diplomats and allow the free flow of goods and people across the 
borders. And I hope that, with the active participation of the United 
States, we will resolve the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict in a manner that 
guarantees the security and self-determination of the people of 
Karabagh.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I wish the Armenia people well on the occasion 
of their independence day and, more importantly, in their ongoing 
effort to establish good relations with their neighbors and their 
effort to build a vibrant democracy so that their children may prosper 
in the homeland of their ancestors.

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