Congratulating People of Ukraine for Democratic, Transparent and Fair Runoff Presidential Election
CONGRATULATING PEOPLE OF UKRAINE FOR DEMOCRATIC, TRANSPARENT AND FAIR RUNOFF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION -- (House of Representatives - January 25, 2005)
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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I represent an area in Chicago known as Ukrainian Village, and last fall, I was privileged to visit Ukraine with my friends from the Self-Reliance Credit Union to celebrate Ukrainian independence and to assist with the development of credit unions in that country.
I left impressed with the passion and commitment of the people of the Ukraine to the development of democracy in their homeland. They have been rewarded with a massive victory for their notions of the democratic process.
I congratulate President Yushchenko on his election as President of Ukraine and commend all of the diverse forces who assisted in bringing about this triumph of the democratic process.
Ukraine is emerging as a vigorous and forward-looking member of the European community, recognized for stepping away from nuclear weapons, and acknowledged for a flourishing, developing economy.
I trust that relations between the Ukraine and the United States will continue to strengthen. The elections in the Ukraine mark a kind of fork in the road for U.S. foreign policy. We can move down the road toward mutually beneficial relations with Russia and all of the former Soviet republics and allies in Eastern Europe, or we can return to the kind of relationships which characterized the Cold War.
I believe our choice ought to be clear: strong and peaceful relationships, rejecting all interference in the internal affairs of other states; mutually beneficial relationships based on fair trade; strict observance of international law; cultural and scientific cooperation; and people-to-people interaction.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the people of the Ukraine for demonstrating what democracy can and should really mean, and that is rule by the people.
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