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[Pages S1142-S1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, when one looks at a largely unified and
democratic Europe, today it is easy to forget just how different it was
in Eastern Europe not that long ago. For half a century, millions lived
under the tyranny and repression of the Soviet Union.
But in the late 1980s, things began to change, particularly in the
Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Who can forget when 2
million people joined hands across these three nations to form the 420-
mile Baltic Chain of Freedom in August 1989? And not long after in
February of the following year, Lithuania held its first free elections
since World War II, voting for the country's first postwar non-
Communist government. Immediately thereafter, the new Parliament voted
to make Lithuania the first occupied Soviet republic to declare
independence. Lithuania's bold move was followed later that year by
Latvia and Estonia. These brave efforts culminated a year later in
February 1991, when the Lithuania people overwhelmingly voted for
independence--a historic move recognized by the US and Soviet Union
that same year.
My first visit to Lithuania was nearly 40 years ago, but my ties
reach back even further. One hundred years ago, my grandmother left her
village of Jubarkas with her three small children to join my
grandfather in America. In her arms, she carried a 2-year-old toddler--
my mother, Ona Kutkaite.
Hidden in my grandmother's baggage was a small Catholic prayer book,
printed in Vilnius in 1863, the last year before printing in Lithuanian
was outlawed by the czars. That prayer book--the last, cherished relic
of my family's life in their beautiful and ancient home--escaped the
czars and was kept safe with our family in America during the brutal
Soviet occupation. When I had the honor of addressing the Seimas of the
Republic of Lithuania on the 20th anniversary of independence, I was
proud to bring that prayer book home to a free Lithuania. Those brave
Lithuanians 30 years ago--including my friend Vytautus Landsbergis, who
served as Lithuanian's first post-independence head of state--led the
country to a prosperous and democratic future.
Lithuania today is a vital member of the European Union, NATO, and
the community of democracies. It held the presidency of the European
Union earlier this decade and is a leading voice on the continent for
standing up to Russia, defending Ukraine, and upholding key democratic
values. And as it faces renewed threats from Russia, I have been a
strong supporter of strengthening NATO operations and defenses in the
Baltic nations. A few years ago, I visited the Lithuanian town of
Rukla, where U.S. and German forces were rotating through as part of
the European Reassurance Initiative aimed at keeping the Baltic safe.
As the cochair of the Senate Baltic Caucus, I will be introducing a
resolution in the weeks ahead reaffirming this security cooperation and
recognizing Lithuania's great achievements around its 30th anniversary
of independence.
In February 1990, when I came to Lithuania as part of an American
delegation to observe the historic elections, my friends took me inside
the Seimas to show me the arsenal of the Lithuanian freedom fighters.
In the corner stood a handful of old rifles--no
[[Page S1143]]
match for the Soviet war machine. But Lithuanians were armed with
stronger weapons--faith, courage, and a burning desire to reclaim their
independence. Because of the sacrifices of so many patriots, known and
unknown, we can proudly and without fear proclaim here today on the
30th anniversary of these historic events: Laisva Lietuva. Free
Lithuania. Now and always.
So let us use this historic anniversary to recommit to our continued
support for our Baltic allies through economic and security cooperation
and to reaffirm America's commitment to NATO and the enduring
transatlantic alliance. Doing so will help ensure the next 30 years of
the longstanding U.S.-Baltic friendship are equally strong and
fruitful.
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