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Post by bot on Jul 9, 2015 18:56:27 GMT -5
Hoyer Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today marking the fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act:
"Forty years ago today, the United States, Soviet Union, and thirty-three other states signed the Helsinki Final Act, a declaration of principles that made respect for human rights and freedom of expression a core component of international relations. The Helsinki Final Act was instrumental in bringing about the fall of totalitarian Communism in Europe and continues to inspire free nations today to promote democracy and human rights around the world.
"I was proud to serve on the Helsinki Commission in the 1980's and 1990's, including as its Chairman, during a time of extraordinary change as the Iron Curtain fell. My travels to the Communist states and later to the newly-free nations of Eastern Europe left a lasting impression on me of the human spirit's indefatigable drive toward freedom. They also highlighted how important and impactful the Helsinki Final Act was - and still is - in the effort to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all people. This is especially true as people in Ukraine are today struggling to preserve their hard-won independence from foreign domination and as democratic activists around the world remain besieged by the forces of totalitarianism, fear, and oppression that defined the Soviet Union. I join in celebrating this anniversary today and in committing to continue this work, which remains unfinished."
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