YELTSIN: RUSSIAN LEADER TALKS ABOUT FREEDOM

The following is part of the speech delivered by Russian President Boris Yeltsin to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on June 17, 1992.

For many years our two countries were the two poles, the two opposites.

They wanted to make us implacable enemies. That affected the destinies of the world in a most tragic way.

The world was shaken by the storms of confrontation. It was close to exploding, close to perishing beyond salvation.

That evil scenario is becoming a thing of the past. Reason begins to triumph over madness. Human nature begins to triumph over inhumanity.

We have left behind the period when America and Russia looked at each other through gun sights, ready to pull the trigger at any time.

Despite what we saw in the well-known American film "The Day After" it can be said today: Tomorrow will be a day of peace. A day less of fear and more of hope for the happiness of our children.

The world can sigh in relief - the idol of communism which spread social strife, enmity and unparalleled brutality everywhere which instilled fear in humanity has collapsed. It has collapsed never to rise again. I am here to assure you: We shall not let it rise again in our land.

... We have come to know that learning to use the benefits of freedom is not easy. Liberty sets the mind free, fosters independent and unorthodox thinking and ideas. But it does not offer instant prosperity or happiness and wealth to everyone.

This is something that politicians must keep in mind. Even the most benevolent intentions will inevitably be abandoned and committed to oblivion if they are not translated into a multitude of everyday jobs. Our experience of the recent years has conclusively borne that out.

Liberty will not be fooled. There can be no co-existence between democracy and a totalitarian state system.

There can be no co-existence between market economy and power to control everything and everyone.

There can be no co-existence a civic society which is pluralist by definition and communist intolerance to dissent.

The experience of the past decades has taught us: communism has no human face. Freedom and communism are incompatible.

... Russia has seen for itself that any delay in strengthening freedom and democracy can throw the society far back.

For us the ominous lesson of the past is relevant today as never before. It was precisely in a devastated country with an economy in near paralysis that bolshevism succeeded in building a totalitarian regime, created a gigantic war machine and brought into being an insatiable military industrial complex.

History must not be allowed to repeat itself. That is why economic and political reforms are the primary task for Russia today. We are facing challenges no one has ever faced before.

... We have no right to fail in this most difficult endeavor, for there will be no second try. Our predecessors have used them all up.

Therefore we must very carefully budget our energies, we must continuously adjust reform tactics in order to stay on course, however painful this may be, so that the change could be carried through.

My job is not an easy one, but in everything I do I have the invaluable support of my wife, my children and most recently - my grandchildren.

Today I am telling you what I tell my fellow-countrymen: I will not go back on the reforms.

We realize our great responsibility for the success of our changes not only toward the people of Russia but also toward the citizens of America and the world.

It is in Russia that the future of freedom in the 21st century is being decided. We are upholding your freedom as well as ours.

I am here to say that we have the a firm determination and the political will to move forward. We have proved that by what we have done.

It is Russia that has put an end to the imperial policies and recognized the independence of the Baltic Republics.

Russia is a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States which has averted uncontrolled disintegration of the former empire and the threat of a general inter-ethnic bloodbath.

Russia has granted tangible powers to its autonomous Republics. Their Treaty of Federation has been signed and our nation has escaped the fate of the Soviet Union and has preserved its unity.

It was Russia that has substantially slowed down the flywheel of militarization and is doing all it can to stop it altogether. Not only have we accepted the nuclear disarmament proposal made by President Bush but we have also launched an initiative calling for reduction in the strategic nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States from 12,000 to 3,000 warheads.

Today we agree, subject, of course, to a matching progress on your side, to destroy completely the most devastating ~weapons, namely landbased ICBMs with MIRVs.

I am formally announcing that without waiting for the treaty to be signed we have begun de-activating~ SS-18 missiles targeted on the United States.

Russia has in fact brought its policies toward a number of countries in line with its solemn declarations of the recent years.

We have stopped arms deliveries to Afghanistan where the senseless military adventure has taken thousands of Russian and hundreds of thousands of Afghan lives. With external props removed the puppet regime collapsed.

We have corrected the well-known infatuates in relations with Cuba. At present that country is one of our Latin American partners. Our commerce with Cuba is based on universally accepted principles and is conducted to mutual benefit using world prices.

It was Russia that once and for all did away with double standards in foreign policy. We are firmly resolved not to lie anymore either to our negotiating partners, nor to the Russian or American or any other people. There will no more lies.

The same apples to biological weapon experiments and the facts that have been revealed about American POWs, the KAL-007 flight and many other things.

... Let us together master the art of reconciling our differences on the basis of partnership - which is the most efficient and democratic basis possible. This would come naturally both for the Russians and the Americans.

If this is done many of the problems which are now impeding mutually advantageous cooperation between Russia and the United States will become irrelevant.

It is not at all a wasteful endeavor; on the contrary it will put an end to the meaningless waste of enormous resources; it will be truly beneficial to the American and the Russian people. Such cooperation would promote a more efficient solution of your problems as well as ours primarily by way of creating new jobs.

History is giving us a chance to fulfill President Wilson's dream namely to make the world safe for democracy.

More than 30 years ago President John F.Kennedy addressed these words to humanity: "My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man".

I believe that his inspired call for working together toward a democratic world is addressed primarily to our two peoples - to the people of America and the people of Russia.

Partnership and friendship of our two lar~gest democracies in strengthening democracy is indeed a great ~goal

... Acting on the will of the people of Russia, I am invitin~g you and, through you the people of the United States, to join us in partnership in the name of a worldwide triumph of democracy, in the name of liberty and justice in the 21st century.

The Russian-U.S. dialogue has gone through many a dramatic moment, but the peoples of Russia and America have never gone to war against each other. Even in the darkest periods our affinity prevailed over our hatred.

In this context I would like to recall something that took place fifty years ago.

The unprecedented world war was raging. Russia which was bleeding white and all our people were looking forward to the opening of the second front. And it was opened. First and foremost thanks to the active stand taken by President Roosevelt and the entire American people.

Sometimes I think that if today like during that war a second peaceful front could be opened to promote democratic market reforms. their success would be ~guaranteed

The adoption by the Congress of the Freedom Support Act of 1992 could become the first step in this direction.

Every man is a man of his own time. No exception is ever made for anyone whether an ordinary citizen or the President. Much experience has been gained, many things have been reassessed.

I would now like to conclude my statement with the words from a song by Irving Berlin - an American of Russian descent: "God Bless America," to which I will add: "and Russia".