That language includes pledges by participating States to facilitate freer movement and contacts among people across national borders. The Final Act envisions a Europe in which spouses are no longer separated. children and parents no longer divided. all people are free to travel and to visit friends and family or to love in the country of their choice. Indeed. tens of thousands of people seeking to emigrate from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have already benefited directly from the human contacts provisions of the Helsinki accords. The current situation between the Federal Republic Germany and the German Democratic Republic is. an example of the benefits Helsinki can reap. Mr. President. today we are witnessing a shift in relations between these two countriesa cooperation and communication not seen before. As part of their increase in cooperation. which includes significant economic assistance from West Germany to East. over 24.000 men. women and children have been allowed to emigrate this year from the German Democratic Republic. This figure represents the highest annual emigration rate since the erection of the Berlin Wall 23 years ago. In addition. almost one third of the dreadful automatic firing devices. developed to discourage illegal emigration to the West. have been dismantled. Travel and visitation restriction have been eased. Time periods governing such movements have significantly increased and exchange rates have been reduced a full third.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration