[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13797-13798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE COUNTRY OF GEORGIA'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF REGAINING ITS 
                   INDEPENDENCE FROM THE SOVIET UNION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 27, 2016

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the country of 
Georgia's 25th anniversary of regaining its independence from the 
Soviet Union. In these two short decades, Georgia has embraced freedom 
and made remarkable progress.
  Georgia has worked to become a leading example of democracy in a 
region where dictatorship is all too common and is reaping the fruits 
of free market reforms that bolster growth by reducing government 
regulation, fighting corruption, and simplifying the tax code. Through 
these efforts, Georgia strengthens its commercial, political, and 
security ties with the West--particularly with the United States 
through a strategic partnership built on shared democratic principles.
  Georgia has been a steadfast ally of the United States, strongly 
supporting U.S. security initiatives in the fight against terrorism and

[[Page 13798]]

is the third largest contributor of troops to the Global War on 
Terror's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.
  These accomplishments shine all the more when taken in context of the 
challenges Georgia continues to face from Russia's voracious appetite 
for aggression in the region.
  Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi, Georgia, to 
Russian troops and local separatist forces in 1993. The brutal 
massacre, torture, and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic 
Georgians from their homes that followed marked the beginning of 
Russia's efforts to occupy Georgia's territory. The U.S. State 
Department reported that:
  ``The [Abkhaz] separatist forces committed widespread atrocities 
against the Georgian civilian population, killing many women, children, 
and elderly, capturing some as hostages and torturing others . . . they 
also killed large numbers of Georgian civilians who remained behind in 
Abkhaz-seized territory . . .''
  ``The separatists launched a reign of terror against the majority 
Georgian population, although other nationalities also suffered. 
Chechens and other north Caucasians from the Russian Federation 
reportedly joined local Abkhaz troops in the commission of atrocities . 
. . Those fleeing Abkhazia made highly credible claims of atrocities, 
including the killing of civilians without regard for age or sex. 
Corpses recovered from Abkhaz-held territory showed signs of extensive 
torture.''
  It is in the interest of the American people to support Georgia's 
long-term stability by promoting its sovereignty and territorial 
integrity. Georgia's primary foreign policy goal is to attain 
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, thereby 
integrating itself into the Euro-Atlantic community and containing 
Russia's expansionist efforts in the region.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in reaffirming our commitment to the 
U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership. We must stand with the Georgian 
people as they continue to pursue free and democratic reforms in the 
face of Russian hostility.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Georgian people on their 25 years of 
progress as an independent state, wish them well in the upcoming 
parliamentary election on October 8, 2016, and offer my support of our 
continued friendship.

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