But even as we rejoice in these potentially happy endings. we must remember that they are part of a much larger story. the sad saga of human rights violations in the Soviet Union and the plight of the refuseniks. The good news about Aleksei Lodisev. the Stolar family. and the others who recently received permission is not the end of this larger story. I hope and pray that it is only the beginning. that in the coming months we will see an increased willingness on the part of the Soviets to abide by the Helsinki accords and other international agreements they have signed relating to human rights and free emigration. If this was an presummit gesture. let us hope that it was not merely a gesture. but that it will be followed by further concrete actions. In the meantime. we must continue to let the Soviets know that human rights is an issue of paramount importance to us and plays an essential role in all aspects of our relationship with them.e
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emigration