Speech #1000133853

It is quite appropriate that we draw attention to the plight of Soviet Jews just days before the historic visit of Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev to Washington. While we all welcome the arms reduction agreement that President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev will sign next week and look forward to agreements in other areas of mutual interest. we cannot forgetand we must not let the Soviet leader forgetour concern for and our commitment to Soviet Jews and others struggling to exercise their fundamental human rights. The recent resolution of longstanding divided family and refusenik cases and the increase in emigration rates. although very positive and welcome developments. should not overshadow the fact that at least 10 Americans are still forcibly separated from their Soviet spouses. thousands of Soviet Jews have been. and continue to be. denied the right to emigrate. and. under repressive legislation enacted earlier this year. many thousands of others are prohibited from even applying to emigrate. Next weeks summit offers an unique opportunity for the administration. the Congress. and the American people to send the Soviet leadership a strong signal of our unwavering and unequivocal support for the promotion and protection of internationally recognized human rights. It also provides the Soviet Union with the opportunity to make dramatic progress in this area by announcing their intention to release all political prisoners. resolve favorably all outstanding emigration cases and increase significantly the rate of emigration from the Soviet Union by adopting a permanent policy of liberalized emigration. These actions would be in compliance with the Soviet Unions international human rights commitments. would remove. once and for all. a contentions issue from the bilateral agenda between our two countries. and would improve the Soviet Unions standing in the community of nations. I hope that this opportunity will not be lost. For if it is. the Soviet Union can be sure of one thing: Neither the Congress nor the American people will retreat from the commitment to freedom for Soviet Jews and all those who seek to emigrate. practice their religion. express their political beliefs. or exercise other internationally recognized human rights. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the Soviet Union abides by the obligations it freely undertood at Helsinki in 1975 and at Madrid in 1983 to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. And we will not cease until these promises become reality.