Mr. President. as one who has supported strongly the unrelenting efforts of the able Senator from Washington to prevent the granting of mostfavorednation trading status to the Soviet Union pending a change in the restrictive emigration policies of that country. I am pleased to be able to vote for the Senators amendment. We are all aware of the recently announced agreements reached by the Senator from Washington with the administration. and the administration with the Soviet Union. to break the prolonged stalemate over this issue. I congratulate the Senator for his success in assuring that in exchange for the United States providing the Soviet Union with mostfavorednation status that the Soviet Union has agreed to relax its inhumane limitations on emigration. which have proven a special burden on Jews desiring to move from the Soviet Union to Israel and other countries. I would remind my colleagues that we have a responsibility to keep a vigilant eye on the Soviet Union. to make certain that it adheres to its part of the unwritten agreement between our -two countries. While I have no reason to doubt the good faith of the Soviet Union in upholding its end of the agreement. I am also not content to rely solely on the good faith of the Soviets and therefore intend to keep myself fully apprised of emigration practices in the U.S.S.R. Time and again in recent years I have spoken here on the floor of the Senate in opposition to the restrictive emigration policies of the Soviet Union and noted how that policy violated the terms of United Nations principles. Time and again I have pleaded with the Soviets. urging them to recognize how their policies did such damage to international understanding and bilateral relations between our two countries. I hope sincerely that as we proceed to pass the Jackson amendment. implementing the long sought agreement on this subject. that it will never again be necessary to raise this issue on the floor of the Senate. I hope the Soviet Union. and every other country. will adhere to the principles of the U.N. and respect the fundamental human right of free emigration. But I will not hesitate. and trust my colleagues will not hesitate. to bring this issue before the Senate again if the terms of this agreement are not fully satisfied.
Keywords matched
emigration