Since then. Mrs. Braun had her request to emigrate to the United States and join her husband turned down on five different occassions by the Soviet Government. The determined effort of Keith Braun. who wrote Svetlana daily and telephoned her every week. and who helped focus the attention of the Congress. the administration. and the news media on his and similar cases helped move the Soviet Government to finally grant Svetlana permission to emigrate. Mrs. Braun arrived in the United States this past Tuesday. and they can finally begin to live their lives together as other young couples naturally do. In denying Mrs. Braun permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union during the past 3 years. Soviet officials ignored the 1975 Helsinki accords which the Soviet Union signed. That international agreement commits signatories to allow reunification of families and the right of binational couples to choose their country of residence. While all of us are extremely happy finally to have Mrs. Braun with us in the United States. our joy is tempered by the knowledge of how difficult it was for her to emigrate. how difficult life was for her in the Soviet Union while she tried to come to the United States. and the fact that there are still many other divided spouses who are still separated because of Soviet emigration policy. There is still a long way to go before the spirit of "glasnost" becomes a reality. Mr.
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emigrate emigration