Speech #990074418

It is unlikely that the human rights situations in the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe wou.ld have improved in the absence of the Helsinki agreements and efforts by the CSCE. perhaps these situations might have been worse without Helsinki. Moreover. meetings of the Helsinki signatories have providedand will continue to provideour country and the democracies of Europe with the opportunity to bring to the worlds attention the grievous human rights abuses taking place in these countries. The Helsinki process has also had the salutary effect of speeding the process of family reunification for Eastern European victims of government repression. Ultimately. the Helsinki process serves as the foundation for improved bilateral and multilateral relations in one of the worlds most sensitive regions. Although the Helsinki process has not yet produced a comprehensive framework for securing the peace and protecting human rights in Europe. it has provided a meeting place for the superpowers and their European allies. a forum where tensions can be defused and modest improvements in relations can be made.