[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              ANNIVERSARY OF GEORGIA'S ``ROSE REVOLUTION''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JO ANN DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 24, 2004

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, one year ago yesterday, 
November 23, 2003 the world witnessed an extraordinary political event 
involving the peaceful pursuit of democracy. In what has become known 
as the ``Rose Revolution'', the people of the Republic of Georgia, 
after several weeks of peaceful and bloodless protests following 
parliamentary elections which were determined to be fraudulent, forced 
a peaceful change in their government. On that day, opposition 
parliamentarians entered their Assembly, roses in hand, demanding that 
the will of the people, expressed by their recent vote, be honored. 
Given the strong support of the public the government of Eduard 
Shevardnadze collapsed.
  Soon after, and under the effective management of interim President 
Nino Burdzhanadze, a free, fair and democratic presidential election 
was held. Mikhail Saakashvili, leader of the opposition protest, was 
overwhelmingly elected and sworn into office on January 24 of this year 
as President of the Republic of Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, Georgia is a small, but strategic country located in the 
Caucasus, between Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia. President 
Saakashvili is a young, energetic leader who has received educational 
training here in the U.S. and has repeatedly stressed the importance of 
strong ties with the United States. Since his election, he has 
committed his country to a strong effort against global terrorism and 
has deployed troops to Iraq. When President Saakashvili visited the 
United States Congress earlier this year he delivered a strong message 
of peace, stability, democracy, political reform, economic opportunity 
and closer cooperation with the West.
  Recognizing the important developments taking place in Georgia, the 
Europe Subcommittee, which I Chair, passed H. Res. 483 in October, 
pledging the continued support of the United States for the continued 
development of democracy in Georgia.
  Today, as we remember the events of November 23, 2003, we express our 
congratulations to the people and Government of Georgia and reaffirm 
our support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity 
of the Republic of Georgia.

                          ____________________