Political Quotes

“Madam President, today is a very important date for the relations between the United States and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Today marks 100 years of continuous, uninterrupted diplomatic relations between our country and each of the Baltic countries. Let me explain why I emphasize continuous, uninterrupted diplomatic relations. Last Saturday marked 82 years since Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles issued a declaration that is remembered to this day in each of the Baltic countries. Soviet troops had entered the Baltic states, arrested leaders, and organized rigged elections to create pro- Soviet government. The Welles Declaration decried the ``devious processes whereunder the political independence and territorial integrity of the three small Baltic Republics--Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--were to be deliberately annihilated by one of their more powerful neighbors.'' It was a clear, principled statement that the United States would not recognize Soviet control over these countries as legitimate. During the 50 years the Soviet Union forcibly occupied Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, diplomats from each of the Baltic states continued their work in the United States, and we continued to recognize them as independent, sovereign countries under foreign occupation. The Soviet Union justified sending troops to the Baltics on the basis of the threat from Nazi Germany.…”