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WHITE HOUSE'
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, Gffice of the Pres.s Secretary
Fo~ Immediate Release'
February 17', 1998
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FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
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BRIEFING ON CENTRAL ASIA, RUSSIA AND UKRAINE . .
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.Department of State.
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Thank you Secretary Albright, for that introduction. Although I wish y6uhadn't included
any references to my slide show abtlities. Anyone who knows meknows that I am a technical
illiterate on many .counts and I have this marked with a big arrow by my staff, 'this is the button
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you push' (laughter). I am delighted to be here, and I want to thank the Secretary for taking time
out of a very busy day. I know shef cannot stay with llstor long, and I thank you for coming.
And ple~se, that your work ;mdyottr words mean so much to all of us. (applause) And I want to
thank the ambassadors who are with us and J want to thank Congessworilan Matcy Kaptur. . I
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appreciate very much Ambassador IMorningstar and Brian Atwood for their remarks. And I am
particularly pleased that so many of you could join us for this occasion which is really meant to
celehrate the countries with whom,I was privileged to visit and also to make dear how important
those countries are in America's foteign policy. And to send a message to the American public
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that these are countries and peoples who have so much in common with us that we .need to .
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extend the hands of friendship and 'partnership and look for ways to do all that we can make to
make 'our relations even stronger, !
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When I went to the.countries that we will discuss, at the request of the President and the
Secretary of State, I hoped to bring! a message of hope and solidarity. from the American people ..
that we will stand by the people and governments of these countfies during their historic
transition and that we wanted to s~engthen the ties between lis. 1 also hoped to stress the
importance of people-to-people, grassroots efforts; 1 have seen t'hat with my own eyes. And you
will see some examples in the slidJs ..And I know in this auditorium there are many who have
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participated directly in these grass¥ots efforts.
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I also hoped to be able to stress the importance of civil society, and what it means to the
future of our societies around the Jrorld. The establishment of democratic institutions, ,the
promotion of non-governmental origanizations are all part of building a strong civil s~ciety. I .
also hoped to.encourage the full d~velopment of educational opportunities for boys and girls and
the creation of a responsive social kafety net. .It was also essential: as I try to do eVerywhere I·
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travel, to underscore the importance of the full participation of women in all sectors 'of society:
and particularly as participants in creating and sustaining a strong civil society from the ground
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The countries that I visited have made remarkable strides in building democratic states .
with effective governing institutionsl and establishing links with one another and their neighbors,
as well as with the broader internati~nal comn1Unity. I hope that part of t~e message of today' s
event would be to tell the American 'people about the progress that has been made, All too often,
we only see headlines about the setb~cks. All too often, we only see headlines about our own
country, sometimes, about setbacks or difficulties. With the larger truth, which lies below the
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surface and doesn't get the attention Iit deserves, that'there has been extraordinary progress for all
to see.
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I believe the transition to democracy and free market economies requires patience and
persistence. To underscore this'poir{r, I said in Ukraine:'
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As Americans have lt~amed through the years, democracy is a never
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ending struggle. We ibecame a 'newly independent state' in 1776, and for
the past 221 years our democracy has been a work in·process. It took us
more than: 1oyears to draft a constitution; 89 years to rid our nation of
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slavery; 144 years to give our women the vote: and 188, years to make all
our citizens equal under the'law.
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The critical differencb; ofcourse." is that the modem world is much less
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forgiving. With glob~1 communications and with a global economy,
everything moves at I much faster pace; and countries and societies must
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reform more quickly ,in order to take their rightful 'place in such a new
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The trip also reaffirmed man;y of the basic. principles of our assistance programs,We
must continue to recognize that despite "the progress that has been made, the transition has been
difficult and painful for many, partidularly women and pensioners, Different sectors of the
society, including'health care and e~ucation, in many of the countries in Eurasia and the ones I
visited, are seriously stressed. The P.S. cannot expect democracy' to take root in the region
without a serious commitment of public arid private resources. As with previous trips I have
been privileged to take, I saw firstha'nd how American assistance through USAID, USIA, Peace
Corps and NIS programs, as well as Ipartnerships with American NGOs including American high .
schools and universities, contribute to improving the lives of people. and to achieving our broader
foreign policy objectives: I also saw again and again how critical women were to any efforts to
build democracy, support economic ;refornl and provide for responsive social structures,
particularly through thedevelopme* of a strong NOO community.
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, I hope that this trip and all of your being here today will help convince the American
people about the importance of Am~rica's active and sustained engagement. We need to remind
ourselves that only 6 years ago the c;ountries I visited were living under totalitarian rule. I am
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convinced that one of the most impdrtant things the Administration can do is to help ensure the
successful transition .to democracy By helping to persuade the American public, Congress and the
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corporate ,and not for profit sectors t'o understand why American engagement by all sectors of our
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society in this region is critical, not pnly with those with whom' we are partners and friends, but
to the interests of the United States, ;as well.
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Americans need to be remin~ed that after having spent trillions of dollars to defend
ourselves , I do what is necessary to insure the successful
against communism, we must
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transformation of all of these countries to market democracy. This is as much a question of
national security' interest as any dollk we spend as part of our defense budget. Building long
term durable ties between our peopl~s is in all of our national interests. So, with those
introductory remarks, I am going to !attempt to make the slide work. To show you some of w,hat
I was privileged to see, and to encotirage even more Americans to visitthe countries Ivisited. "
And particularly, with respect to a v~ry large country like Russia. to get beyond the well known
cities, Moscow or St. Petersburg and out into more of that beautiful country ,
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:KAZAKHSTAN
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Now,'ihe first country that I yisited was Kazakhstan. And, I was delighted to be able to go
to this very large country that Ameri,cans don't yet know very well. Unfortunately, my trip was
delayed because my airplane had to turn back because of some mechanical problems that you
might have heard about. They werelnot as dramatic as they were made to seem, but it did
shorten the time that I was able to s~end in Almaty. My activities in Almaty reinforced the two
fold me'ssage that women and NGO~ are important components in building a civil society. I was
able to take my entire schedule and tompress it ahd here I am being greeted by some of the most,
beautiful people I've ever seen, as I ~raveled through this region ,of the world. And, I hope that '
you will see the 'way that traditions tind culture in these countries coexist with so much that is
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happening, today.
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My first stop in Almaty was ~ meeting with youth leaders who are involved in a
democracy-building project through!peer education, leadership training and political
participation. One of the great chal1~nges in Kazakhstan, like others of the countries in this
region, are helping people to understand what it means to be a citizen. One young man told me
that before he worked with this group he didn't really know what that meant. Now he can see
what he as an individual can do. Because teachers and schools play an indispensable role in
transmitting knowledge and values, Which are, after all, the currency of democracy, I was very
pleased to announce a new partners~ip between the governments of Kazakhstan and the United
States to recognize outstanding teac*ers of English and American studies from around'
Kazakhstan. Award recipients will t:ravel to the U.S. to learn about the U,S. educational system
and American educators will travel tp KaZakhstan to learn more about this important and very
strategically placed county.
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able tD $ee first hand hDW this CDuntf:y is pteserving its £u~turaJ:heritage.1juring the turmDilDf '
this century, Kazakhstan'sculture ~kssDmehDw kept.alivelnall ,of its richness and diversity.
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Here I am inside ,of a yurt and I'm being ShD!'Vl1a WDlf skinand'awhip that I was infDqned every
'well-dressed man in Kazakhstan use~ tD wear,: J wiS given' ,one tD giv.e tD my husband an'd'} call
,tell YDu:that he has certainly enjDyed having itarDurid the la,st'severai weeks. (Laughter) I was
alSD :privileged, tD he~t ,some musiciahs and perfoITIlers ~hD s~g andplayedtraditiDnal ,
instruments':} a'lway's try tD incDrpdtate intD my visitssDme cultural event thatdemDnstrates the
histDri~ cu~ture Dr the current ~isticl culture because l believe i~ IS very ~n:pDrtant ,I think Dn~ ,of
"the great glftS that we,aIl can give eaph ,other arDundthe ~Drld IsrecDgmtrDn and respect fDr ,our
respectivecultures.'.
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I alsD helped tD inaugurate the WDmen's Wellne?s Center, the result ,of a pru:tnership
between US AID, the American InterhatiDnal Health Alliance, the TucsDn' Medical Center in
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ArizDna,and thei~ cDUI)terparts physicians, nurses, and'Dthers in, Almaty. ThIS center fDcusses
,on educatiDn"screening and preventjbn. It will help'thewDmen ,of Almaty safegtlard themseh/es
, against sexually transmitted diseasesl, provid~ critical screening fDr' cervical and breast cancer," '
provide pre-natal and cDunseling serVices fDr WDmen. Andi must say rrrivery pleased tD learn
that because ,of the 'wide rari'ge ,of faJily planning se~ices'made available through t h i s ' ,
partnership there h~s b~en a reduc~iDP since 1992, w~~n US AID beg,an worki~g here,Df 25 % in
the high rate ,of abDrtiDn and I thirik it is very imPDrtant that we recDgnize hDW wDrkingiacross ,
'the lines that pr~videoppqrtunities fbr physicians, nur~es and ,others tD cDDperate; ,we can make a
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reaJimjJact ,on the lives DfpeDple: This Well ness Center means better,health,nDt ,only fDrthe
WDmen WhD are seiVed, but fDr their !childreii and their,;cDmrnunities. An9 as we heard earlier,'~ ,
frDI11"the Secretary"the u.,~:' GDverruhent's OperatiDn PrDvide HDpewasresp'9nsiblefDr'an airlift
,of m~dicar supplies that went. tD thi's henter arid ,others in Kazakhstan.,
In Kazakhst~, 1.alsD was~ablb address a gathering ,of wDmen frDmthrDughDut Cemral
Asia,whD are .the "vitciI vDices" ,of d~mDcracy: I saw hDW stich gatheri1)gs, co~spDn'sored by tlie '
United S'tates Inforn1atiDnAgency add a localNGO, call play a catalytiC role in empDwering "
, NGOs. Arid I was pleased tD,annourlce,a'newU.S. partriership'fDran upcDming cDnference in '
, MoscDwon family viDlence. That islan issue that is g~~irlgmore attentlDn arD~nd the wDr~d and
, is ,one that is very impDrtant in termsJ ,of giving WDmen an DppDrtunitytD lead full and healthy
liv~s. DemDcracy withDutthe full participaticin DfwDmen isa cDntradictiDn in'terms.and that is
b~cDming mDre Dbviousthrotighout the wDrld. As said in my addr~ssio this CDnference:, .
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We.inthe U.S. understand,that the transitiDn frDm cD~munis~ to free markets
" and. demDCI:acy has 'urit been painle~s for WDmen here Dr, ' wDrld, and
arDund the
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" .that'it wo4ld be UQIealistic~tDpretend ,otherwise. They are ,often the first tD IDse
their j~bs~d the last[tD ge~ ~ewon~s .. TDD many ar~ barred by law, byiradition,
Dr. by IgnDrance frDm exerclsIllgthelr fights, trapped III an endless cycle ,of
'pDverty; unable tD getbiccess tD educatipn and credit. ,TDD many wDmen are
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lives; as they
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more with fewer and fewer hDurS.. And,tDD many live in fear DfviDlence,
includi~g viDlence a~Jh~ haI},d~'Dffainily·members. " . . .
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This must change. yJt, while the oppressive structures of communism have been
torn down, the politic~l, judicial and economic organizadonsthatprotect women's
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rights in a democracy !are just now being constructed. That's why bringing
women together, as tHis conference did, is an important part of building lines of
communication and n~tworks among women in the public-sector and thep'rivate
sector and particularly, increasing NGO activity on behalf of women's causes and
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interests.
I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet with President Nezarbayev and to have a
, chance to discuss with him some of ~is aspirations for the country and to convey the warm ,
greetings of my husband. He was to !meet with my husband not long after I had my opportunity
to visit Kazakhstan. In my meeting ~ith President Nazarbayev , we discussed a variety of issues
and I raised with him a number of th9se matters that I would be talking about throughout the
remainder of my trip, including the role and importance of NGO's and the role and importance cif
women. This would constitute the fi~st of three meetings I had on one day with Presidents of .
Central Asian countries, so it was a ,Jery active day since it had to be telescoped into a much
shorter period because of my airplane trouble. But I certainly hope that more Americans will
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have an opportunitY to visit this imp6rtant and very interesting country.'
iKYRGYZSTAN
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From Kazakhstan, 1 went to Kyrgyzstan and again was greeted by tradition - women
wearing traditional clothes - and givihg me an opportunity to engage in the breaking of bread and
the dipping in salt that is the traditioAal welcome. I also was greeted by a'large group ofchildren
who had come to the airport in part t6 greet me but also to support an effort that the United States
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government has engaged in to provide supplies through Operation Provide Hope. I happened to
arrive anhe airport at the time of an hirlift and was able to thank everyone concerned. both our ,
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government and from the Ut:ited States, as well as Kyrgyzstan.
The airlift brought mote than $2 million in pharmaceuticals for hospitals in Bishkek 'and
Osh, as well as clothing for children Iin those communities.' the audience 'at' the event were
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Peace Corps volunteers stationed in Kyrgyzstan who ,,'ould deliver the supplies, as well as
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representatives of U.S. NGOs like CitiHope. Mrs. Akayev, the First Lady of Kyrgyzstan, .
welcomed meat the airport and in h9r remarks underscored the importance of the airlift and
expressed her country's gratitude to ~he American people.
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important' work they were doing. . I
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I drove from the airport to a village outside Bishkek, where I visited an open-air market
run by local shopkeepers. Most oft~e merchants were women who had been the recipients of
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Finca International (which is
part by a grant
.. from USAID). I absolutely loved m)' time at this market: I met with several representatives of
village groups who had received 10ru1s and I heard first-hand about the changes in the lives of
these women. One woman, who had been a teacher, was supplementing her income through
micro-credit.
The micro-credit lending systbm has worked successfully in Kyrgyzstan where over 600
"Village Banks" have lent over $2 m~11ion since 1994, with a repayment rate of 98%. Now that
would be the envy of any commercial bank! Here I am talking with some of the women who.
have received loans from this micro-6nterprise effort, and it reinforced what I have seen around
.. the world. This is very cost-effectite, smart way to assist people, particularly women, in
creating their· own small businesses ~nd thereby adding to the incomes of families and
communities, alleviating poverty. M:icrocredit helps to create small businesses and economic
reform. I spent time visi.ting with a Ibt of the people, many of whom. like this woman, were
older and talking through interpreter~ ab()ut what their experience had been. I was able to report
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I was very pleased in my meeiting with the President to learn from him about the many
women who hold important positionJ in his government and in various other sectors in this
society. Key women include the De~uty Prime Minisler~ the Minister of Justice, the Minister of
Labor and Social Welfare, and the he:ad of the Constitutional Court. At aprivate lunch that
followed, the President talked about ~he challenges facing his country, given its geography and.
the economic transition and about the importance of cooperating with the United States and other
countries in order to develop his society. I must say I was quite impressed with his young son
who was at the lunch, I1um, who toldl me he 'spends most of his time on the Internet talking with
people all over the world and has a special friendship with a young person in Hawaii. It struck
me how much the world has changed:. certainly since I was his age. and even within the last ten
years. The change which is occurring and puts a young man in Kyrgyzstan in instantaneous·
touch with a young person in Hawaiilgives us great opponunities ifwe':e able to take advantage
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I next went to inaugurate the American University in Kyrgyzstan and was pleased to meet
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. John Clark, an American who serves las an associate dean of the university.
education is central to building civil ~ociety, to the health of den.1Ocracy and for the success of a
country's economy, I participated in ~ ceremony with the President at the Kyrgyz~American
University. The Soros Foundation antl the U.S. government. through USIA, have supported this
project. Prior to my participation, th~re were concerns raised that the independence of the
University was being compromised ~y the government. In my remarks I stressed the importance
. of a tr~Iy i~de~end~nt university. an~ Iw~s very .pleased ~hat the governmen.t is~ue~ a decre~ that
the UnIVerSIty IS an mdependent mstItutIOn .. It IS essential that all of these mstitutIOns of hIgher
learning in countries such as KyrgyzJtan be given the maximum amount of independence and
freedom because, as we know, certaiAly information now cannot be kept out by any barriers. It
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will flow across any national boundary.
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And in my r~marks I strongly~ndorsed the role. of the Open S'ociety Institute in assisting,
in advocating for democracy in Kyrg~zstim and throughout theworfd because it is ourhope that
this university can grow into a place that nourishes the bedro~k values of free thought and
expression, respect for human rights, ~upport of strong and independent community institutions,
and opportunity for all citizens.
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well-informed and I came away with ',ill extremely positive impression of what is happening in
Kyrgyzstan and the opportunities thatlar~ there for you~g pe?ple if the ~ourse is stayed for
democracy and free markets. They certamly have the talent m the people whom I met to make
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. As a result of ourvisit, the golernment ofKyrgysztan issued a decr';" that the Kyrgyz-
American Uni:versity is now an indep6ndent institution.
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IUZBEKISTAN
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From Kyrgyzstan, I went on to Uzbekistan and it was the last of the three Central Asian
countries that I would visit during my trip. I was very pleased that I was able to visit the 'capital
of Tashkent, as well as Bukhata and Samarkand, that serve as cultural capitals of the country.
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In Tashkent, I had the third oflmy meetings with Central Asian leaders on the same day,
'this time with President Karimov. He stressed how'much Uzbekistan appreciated U.S. interest in
their country and how important it is iliat we have a very strong presence and relationship.
Uzbekistan has a unique position as it! straddles the ancient Silk Road. and confronts the
challenge of preserving its rich cultur~l and religious heritage, as well as building a new
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democracy.
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Duri~g my visit, I sought to hi1ghlighi the importance of pr~grams between the
governments of our two countries, ana between the peoples of our t\VO countries. I me,t with a
group of professional and businessw6men in Tashkent to learn about what they were doing in
their private businesses, They were crbating small businesses through the NOOs with which they
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One woman I met was the President of the-Women's Resourc~ 'C~nter, which provides
legal support and educates women onltheir rights. Her organization has received grant support
from USAID through the Counterpart! Consortium and the Eurasia Foundation. She told 'me
something that I thought summed up hlUch ofwhat I saw happening as I traveled. She said, "I've
learned that the more active you are a citizen, the more empowered you will be; and the
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I was also privileged to helpiJaugurate, with Mrs. Kaiimova, the Women's Wellness
Center in Tashkent. This is another obe of these hospital partnerships that I have tried to
highlight throughout the NIS region. Ifhisone is a partnership between the Tashkent Medical
Institute and the University ofIlIinois lat Chicago. It is supported by the American International
Health Alliance and US AID. It is fodusing on neonatology ,and perinatal medicine as well as
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education and hospital management. I was pleased that I had been able to participate a few
months previous with those who werellaunching the 500th American humanitarian airlift to the
NIS. That airlift brought $22 million in supplies to Uzbekistan, of which $2 million went to the
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Tashkent Medical Institute.
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In my travels I have met many! doctors and nurses at various hospitals throughout Russia
and tl:te Ukraine and here in Uzbekistan who are extremely dedicated, very well-educated, but do
not at the moment have the resources to do the job that they know they should be doing. , Yet'
they are very able to be full partners ih these partnerships because there are a lot of things that
they know about which they are able to share with their counterparts so I am a very big supporter
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of these hospital partnerships and wish we could do even more of them because I have seen first
hand what difference they make. I wJs also given a chance to meet with a number of the people
who came to the unveiling of.this Wohlen's Wellness Center and could see how much friendship
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and excitement there was about the relations, between our two countries.
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I next visited the University 6fWorld Economy and Diplomacy, where I participated in a
discussion with students who had taken part in the Bradley High School Exchange Program .
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Again, just as I had been in Kazakhstan and.Kyrgyzstan, I was very impressed by the young men
and women whom I was able to meet land I was particularly impressed because so many of these
young people were very well informe~, they spoke excellent English, certainly better than my ,
Uzbek, and I was very honored that tHey had translated my book into Uzbek. Of course I have
no idea what the introduction said, bit they assured me that there was a lot in the book about
how w.e need to cooperate and help eJch other, which they've found very much in their own
experience. I not only spoke with theIstudents, but I was able to engage in a question and answer
that I think could have gone on for the rest of the day. The articulate questions that these young
people asked illustrated to me how' c~nfident they were 'and how important a' program like the'
Bradley High School Exchange Program is in helping young people, know 'more about our
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country, the United States, and to ha+ a chance to live here and study here sO,that they bring
back to their own countries some firs~-hand information.
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I went from Tashkent to B~ara, and I met with a groupof high school students, They'
had Uzbek, and Tajik and Russian backgrounds and they attend a school where Peace Corps
volunteers are working. Like the Bratlley Scholars, these young people spoke excellent English,
exhibited great confidence and asked !me innumerable questions, sometimes falling over each
other to ask questions about the United States, about young people in'the United States. Again I
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, ,was extremely impressed and told the young people that I visit classrooms all over the world and
had rarely se.en better-prepared, brig~ter, more articulate students than I did in my visit to the
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countries of central Asia.
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I was also very privileged to 8,e able to visit some of the extraordinary 'sights that Bukhani
holds for the world. Bukhara celebrated its 2,500th birthday last fall. It has been a major '.
trading, cultural and educational cent¢r foi:much of its history, Today, it is a city of 300,000
inhabitants. With its ancient history ~d beautiful architecture: it is natural focus for efforts, to
promote preservation of cultural heritkge.
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The Kalyan'Ensemble is a clabsic ex~ple of the medieval arc~itecture famous,
throughoutCeritral Asia. It was probhbly the tallesfbuilding, in the world when it was completed
in 1127. I was told that the minaret i~ someti~es called the "Tower of Death," because criminals
were sometimes hurled to their death4from it. But it also was a light for those caravans that'
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were on the Silk Road to see, to find Vteir way to Bukhara. ,
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Mrs. Karimov and I had a wo~derful time with thei~ daughter visiting and seeing some of
these sights, including going into the ~osque and meeting the mullah who was there' and seeing
one of the most beautiful· sights that I ve seen anywhere in the \vorld. There, is this ancient
~ulberry, tree there which is thought
be older than a thousand years. It has grown unmolested,
In the courtyar~ through all of those.J[ears an~ all of.the changes. And I was a~l~' to tal.k to the
mullah about hIS hopes for cooperauQn and fnendshlp among people of all relIgIOUS fmths,
, throughout the world,
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I" w~s also happy to ~isit,som~ofthe old cities. the places along the Silk Road where: '
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vendors would bring their wares hundreds and hundreds of years ago. You could almost feel the
history as' you, walked the streets, as y.ou talked to some of the merchants who had for generations
been making and selling some of the~ame crafts and objects that i saw here when I visited. I
think it's also very significant that un1der the government of Uzbekistan there has been an '
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emphasis on religious freedom and tne next day I was able to visit a very old synagogue. The
Jewish syriagogue in Bukhara is hom~ to the world's ~ldest Jewish community outside the
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Middle East. The rabbi told me specifically that this government and President Karmiov had
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restored religious freedom and encoJaged religious and cultural tolerance. And I could tell from
the sincerity of his remarks and his v~ry strong conviction and talking about how different it was
now to practice his religion n'ow that I , was a go~~rnment that respected all religions, This is
~here
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, something that is making a very big difference in Uzbekistan and it is certainly an example for
the entire world. I had to put in a cloke,.upofthe,iabbi--Iloved his hat and I loved his moustache,
and I also loved his eyes which twiruJled a lot. But I'saw so many people thr~ughout my trips, ,
through these countries, who had tha~ spirit, that positive energy and optimism which you cannot
fake, there is no way to pretend. An4 I was pleased that I could see first-hand what a difference
democracy and freedom and toleranc~ are making, .
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Next, we flew to Samarkand.1 This is the crew of the C-130 whi~h took me and my party.
I don't know how many of you have peen on a C-130 but it is quite an experience and inside,
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pictur~~
s~me
s~me
since r always having
take+ of me, I took
pictures of
of our guests for a '
memento of this trip we took toget,her: I was so pleased that President Karimov was able to meet
me when we landed in Samarkand, wHich, of course; is h'is home to\vn and a place that he was
particularly looking forward to showirlg personally to me, He joined me on a tour of some of the
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ancient monuments of Samarkand. Like Bukhara, Samarkand is also 2,500 years old and
celebrated its anniversary last year. It!was already a major urban center when it was conquered
by Alexander the Great, it was a stop for virtually eyerycaravan traveling the Silk Road, I think
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its important for Americans as we look toward the new century and will be celebrating the neW
millennillm, to have a broader historicl context. Visiting countries, such as the ones that I have
visited, gives you some of that contex~ which to put into perspectiye some of the issues that,
we're dealing with even,tod~y.
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The first ofth~:many ~ultural Jites I visited 'in Samarkand were these ~ausoleums, the
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Shah-I-Zindi Mausoleums, and it was 'originally part'of an ancient city that pre-dated even what
is now known as Samarkand. The M~usoleums were lined with sepulchers from Tamerlane's
dynasty. I was pleased to learn how cluch emphasis the Uzbekistan government; particularly the
President, is placing on tourism and c~ltural heritage because it is a story that certainly deserves
to be told as widely as possible.
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reno~ated
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mad~ases
Registan Square is being
as a tourist attraction, The mosque and two
that are there are beautifully preservedaI1d work is continuing, Here you can see just a shot of
the square, There are performers in tHe center of the square, They were young men who
performed traditional music and dancJ for us and I was particularly impressed at their dedication
and their enthusiasm about conveying Itheir culture to visitors and I hope many Americans have a
chance to visit Samarkand and Bukhata.
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them about theIr personal lIves and.expenences because I think that one of the great lessons that
all democratic leaders have to learn arid learn again: how important it is to stay in touch with
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one's own people. And in an authoritarian or totalitarian state if s not important to spend time
with one's citizens and so there hasn't been a tradition. but in the countries which I visited I saw
very clearly how democracy and the itnportance of the' individual is clianging the way leadership
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is conducted.
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In visiting both Samarkand an~ Bukhara, I sought to impress upon our audiences there
the importance of cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity and to underscore the importance of
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religious freedom.
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When I was privileged to speak at Samarkand, I ,vas introduced by the President, who '.
spoke movingly as a Muslim ab~ut th1e importance of religious freedo~ and ethnic tolerance and
he spoke about the lessons that thisadcient place could . teach all of us because for many many·
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.generations, people o~ different traditrns Iived·peacefully together: Muslims, Christians, Jews·
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�others 'following their faiths in the san:\e neighborhoods. And. that is something the President
had experienced first-hand, growing u1p in Samarkand. And I wanted to emphasize how
important it is to a democracy, and ho~ important it is to the United States, that this tradition of
respect and tolerance, which has stood the land of Uzbekistan for so many generations so welL
has helped prepare them to face the c~allenges that lie ahead and that in fact this tradition of
religious tolerance can be used to teach the world about diversity. For centuries the ancient Silk
Road took the people of Central Asia ~o new worlds rich in commerce and culture and today the
peoples of this region are traveling agkin doWn the road to freedom and democracy and I'm very
pleased that the United States stands ~eady to be a partne~ in supporting important values like .
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We enjoyed a delicious lunch bd then were able to share some more visiting together by
going to Tamerlane's tomb and to see~ this absolutely magnificent archit~cture. Tamerlane, also
known as Amir Timur (the "iron emirt'), chose Samarkand as his capital and revived the city
soon after it was destroyed by Genghiz Khan in 1220. He and his male heirs are buried in the
crypt here at the tomb. It was a very ~oving experience because the architectural magnificence
of what I saw in Bukhara and Samarkand may not be as well known as it should be in our
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country and I was very impressed at the efforts being made to preserve it.
Also impressive ;"ere the effols that were being made to preserve the ancient crafts and
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arts which I saw ,when I visited the Aftisans Development Center.. The center is run by an Uzbek
NGO whieh receives funding from U~AID and techniQal assistance from an American NGO
called Aid to Artisans. This center iSlhelping to preserve the ancient crafts and arts of the people
of Uzbekistan. The Center is also undergoing renovations with support from Mercy Corps
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International using funds from a U.S.jDepartment of Agriculture.'s "Food for Progress" grant. It
was exciting to meet the artisans because of their enthusiasm and again without any real
prompting, several of the artisans taUJed about how important it was that the government was '
encouraging the revival of these anciJnt crafts, that there was an .understanding of how important
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it was to preserve the past while moving into the future, I want to commend the government of
Uzbekistan for making cultural heritaige such a priority. I was sorry to leave Uzbekistan and
sorry to leave Central Asia. I wishedl I had more time.to visit much longer in all three of the
countries ahd to meet more people fir;st-hand. But I came away with a very positive impression
and a hope that more Americans will !get to know these countries and their neighl;>ors and
understand more of the history and potential for the future that they represent. I was, however, .
very excited because I was going on to Russia and I was looking forward to seeing Mrs. Yeltsin,
who was gp ing to be my guide on a lisit to. Y ekaterinburg.
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I have become very fond bbth President and Mrs. Yeltsin and have had a 101: of
enjoyable times with both of them. 'rJJrs.Yeltsin and I have enjoyed visits both in the United
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~hen
I was particularly remInded hol,
·Mrs. Yeltsin accompanied President Yeltsin to the
GA meeting in Denver this past sumnier, we.took a train ride up,into the beautiful Rocky
Mountains and I don~t think anybody 6n the tr~in wasmor~ excited than Mrs. Yeltsin because
some ofthe scemery she saw reminded! her of her home in the Urals. So I' told her that if I ever
ha~ a chance, I .wanted to come to Ye~aterinburg and have her show me this city where she and
.President Yeltsin were students ahd where they lived the greater part of their married lives .
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We started with a visit to one df Mrs. Yeltsin' s favorite . ' oile of the' very ,
charities and
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important facilities doing work with children with birth defects .. Mrs. Yeltsin and I have spent a
lot of time working with each other, h~lping each other on issues affecting children and their
health . .The Bonum Center provides r~habilitation programs for disabled children. It specializes
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. in surgical reconstruction and therapy :for children with congenital facial and palatal defects.
Here we can see one of the babies wit~ the baby's mother. There are many parents who are able,
because of the very creative and far-si~hted work of this center, to stay with their children while
they undergo treatment, and the cente~ also treats orphans.
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-In the six years since Yekaterinburg has been open to foreigners, the Bonum Center has
established ties to U.S. charitable orgahizations, including.the Frank Foundation and the "Face to
'. Face" program sponsored by the Amefican AcadeIl,ly ofF~ci~1 Plastic'and Reconstructive.
Surgery, which pays for American surkical teams to come to the Center and work with the
excellent doctors and nurses who staff. the Center. Mrs.Yeltsin and 1 were both very moved by
the children we met, many who are in ,these pictures have had their surgery and rehabilition and
. have a much brighter future because of this ~onderful facility and what it's been able to dofor
children.
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I was then privileged to go to! Junche<mhosted by Governor Russell at hisbeautiful
renovated residence~ As I traveled through the city, Mrs. Yeltsineagerly pointed out places .
where she arid President Yeltsin used to go to the theater, even:ah apartment they lived in ~i one
time. And you could just see how much joy she took in remembering their time as a young
married couple, startirig their lives tog~ther. . ..' ,
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I was ~specially pleased that tHe major public event I participated in was a "town
meeting" sponsored by the Urals'Worben's Association at the Urals Polytechnic University., We
were able to meet with several hundre~ representatives of women's groups, NGOs, businesses,
university students and, faculty members. And I was extremely impressed that MIs. Yeltsin ."
joined me' on the podiUm; where she \~as entertaining questions and making comments as people
in the audience asked her aboutvario~s events going on in the country. She was very impressive
and not only did she answer the questions that were directed at her, she spoke individually to .'
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women, she stayed after the session was over to discuss various matters that were brought up to
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her. I don't think that she could have done any better if she'd'been doing this all of her life. She
told me that she's not accustomed to ~peaking in public but 1 told her that sheis certainly very
well equipped to do so and made a vety positive impression on behalf of her husband and on
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behalf of what his government is attJptingto do.
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B.oth .of us stressed the imp.ortance .of w.omen and w.omen· s roles in building a strong
dem.ocracy and talked ab.out h.ow diffibult the challenges are that w.omen face in Russia and in
many c.ountries around the w.orld. Ana I stressed h.o~ imp.ortant w.omen·' s organizati.ons are in
helping w.omen achieve the g.oals thatlthey set f.or themselves, in bringing w.omen t.ogether and in
giving them the res.ources they need t6 advance in the business w.orld .or the academic w.orld .or
any particular sect.or .of s.ociety.
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T.o that end, I ann.ounced that \1S AID will be increasing funds t.o supp.ort NGOs that are
c.ombating d.omestic vi.olence. In additi.on, aj.oint U.S.-Russian c.onference will be c.onvened
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s.ometime in 1998 t.o share m.odels about h.ow .our c.ountries can best w.ork t.ogether t.o c.onfront an
issue like d.omesticvi.olence. I was v~ry m.oved by the remarks .of a number .of w.omen ab.out
h.ow they wished we had m.ore excharlges am.ong w.omen and w.omen's gr.oups in the United
States an dthat we c.ould learn fr.om e~ch .other. Many.of the w.omen that I met were d.oing w.ork
that was very creative and .overc.oming l.ots .of .obstacles and they were l.o.oking f.or m.ore supp.ort
and I h.ope we're able t.o pr.ovide that lOne w.oman, wh.o represented the Meth.odist Church,
wanted t.o kn.ow .of ways that churches c.ould be m.ore effectively engaged to help disadvantaged
families n.ow that the state isn.o l.onge~ pr.oviding all s.orts .of s.ocial safety net res.ources. Just as
in.our c.ountry with the end .of we Ifarejas we have kn.own it, churches, private citizens, .other
. .organizati.ons are g.oing t.o have t.o be w.orking with g.overnments t.o·make sure that disadvantaged·
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N.ow as I was walking d.own t~e c.orrid.or, I saw this pic'ture and I have t.o say that I
thought it. was Vice President G.ore (lJughter). I had a picture .of it taken and I brought it back to
the Vice President and .of c.ourse its a tlistinguished f.ormer facultv member and leader .of the
university, but I must say that it stmeR me that the Vice President has certainly g.otten ar.ound
m.ore than I th.ought (laughter.)
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That evening, Mrs. Yeltsin ami I went t.o the .opening performance .of the Ural Academic
Philharm.onic Orchestra. The evening marked the re-.opening .of the newly ren.ovatedinteri.or.of
.one .of the city's premiere cultural institutions. I was pleased to learn that the Philharmonic in
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Yekaterinburg has sent t.o the United States some representatives to learn how orchestras and
other cultural institutions in Russia ca~ fund themselves now that they cann.ot c.ount wholly on
government assistance. They are no, doing a lot of what. I think: predicts a very successful
future for them. They are selling season tickets, they are providing all kinds .of .opportunities f.or
different audiences to come and I wasl pleased to learn that these close ties between our two
countries and this orchestra were veryl much the work of Sarah Caldwell, wh.o n.ow serves as
Artistic Direct.or and C.onduct.or of the B.oston Opera Company but has spent a great.deal .of time
in Y ekate~inb~rg. over the last several!years.. T~is .is another area where I t~ink ~erican not - : '
f.or-profit InstitutIOns, NGOs, and culitural mstltutlOns can work closely With their counterparts In
Russia and elsewhere just to c.onvey the result of our experience .of hov,: t.o keep and build
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au d'lences Wit hout government SUppOFt.
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�We also met with representativ~s ofthe American-Russian Youth Orchestra. Mrs.
Yeltsin and I have served as honorary co-chairs for several years and I was very' pleased at the
progress that has been ,made.
We ended the evening with a pr.ivate dinner with Mrs. Yeltsin, the Governor and
members of our delegation. It was a v~ry warm dinner <vith several rounds of toasts and candid
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conversations. I think everyone had a fabulous personal time. I felt that, as I told my husband
later, I had enjoyed drinking a lot ofvddka for our relationships between our countries butl came
away even more impressed with Mrs. Yeltsin and the others I had.met during my short stay there
and the work that is going on in cities 6utside of Moscow'to build econ~mic opportunity and to
create other kinds of changes that are s6 neceSsary.
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From there I flew to Novosibir~k and we took th,~se pictures from the plane because I was
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very struck, even from the air,at the beauty, the kind of eerie beauty of Siberia. I wanted to visit
S iberia because I wanted to send a strohg signal on behalf of the President and our country about
the importance of this region in buildidg Russia's democracy and new economy. And.how vast it
is, how extraordinary the physicalland~cape is, and as I quickly learned uppn landing, how warm
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, . I drove from the airport vi~itIAkademgorodok,. one of the prem!ere ~iversities in. .
RUSSIa. It had been a closed umversltYl for most of the hiStory of the Soviet Umon but now It IS a
'. place where there are many very well-trained intellectual,s, scientists. and others who are looking
for new ways' to make a contribution i~ this new economy and democracy.
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My first stop and a personal hiJhlight of the trip for me
a visit to the Archeology and
Ethnography Museum in Novosibirsk. I This is at the university and I wanted to see the
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preserved bodies and clothes of a prehistoric mummified Siberian couple. I had read about 'this
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discovery in National Geographic and I knew that the find was extraordinary because the climate
in Siberia in Altay, south of where we ~ere, had preserved the bodies as you can see. You could
still see the decorative tattoos that the man and the woman had on their bodies and also preserved
their clothes. So you could actually seb the fur coats and the boots that they were wearing. .
Again it was, a reminder of how long ard deep and rich the civiliZation in thispart of the world
is~ It's ,something that we·need to rem~nd ourselves of as we look at what is happening in the
world today and have some historic context iilto which to put current events. I immediately was
embraced by a large crowd of people Jrho were outside the museum. I had a chance to talk with
a number of them. I think partly becaJse they are in a university academic setting many of the .
people with whom I spoke had travelea outside the country even in Soviet times and were quite
familiar with much of what was going Ion around t~e world.
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In my talk, which was at the uriiversity, I got a briefing about the university, I highlighted
the (act that while an academic instituton such as this one had previously focused on winning
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the Cold War, now our institutions of higher learning, in both of our countries, should be
working side by side to use science, te'chnology and education in th~' service of freedom,
prosperity and democracy. I knew fro~ my briefing for this t~ip that the transition had been very
difficult for many in this academic complex. Scientists and researchers with expertise and years
of ~ducation ,had earned status and s~c:urity. They riow fa~ed uncertain futures and they were ,
trymg to deCide how to use those skills that they had acqUlred. I told them that we faced some of
the same problems in our own count~ with our education system, but that 'given the ,
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, extraordinary brain power that was aniassed in such an institution there was a great opportunity
to make a transition from a Cold War hcademic environment to a n~w global one. And I was very
confidt,!nt that it was' people like the sdientists and researchers and students in the' audience that I.
met who would help ensure that Russi~ remained a leader in in~ellectual and 'academic pursuits.
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members of this community, not only !in conversation before and after the speech: butby visiting,
the home of a family, three generationk, who represented very clearly some of the'challenges that
Russians are facing as.they make this transition. The grandfather was employed for his entire.
workin'g life as an applied mathemati~ian-- respected for his academic achievemerit'-- his wife
was a research iibrarian. They had trareled throughout the former Soviet Union. And they were
very well acquainted with what was htPpening with theworld despite they're being in a closed
city. He had heard my speech, at the University, in which I had said that many surveys of public
opinion showed that the majority of Rhssians over the age of 65 think that things had gotten ,
worse over the past year, :whileyoung~r people think that they have gotten better. He said that he
certainly understood those, findings. He felt that his life was now less predictable and his wife
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added that educational and intellectual achievement are no longer valued, as they used to be. She
said something very striking, she said) "'everyone is trying to sell something anq only a few are '
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buying."
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Yet th~ir daughters~ b,othof w~om are very fluent in English ~d their son-in~law ,ahd
, their two g~andchildren are very optiIrlistic about the fuh,Jre. , When I talked with , the, younger , "
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members of the,family, they told me apout,their visits to,Ettrope and the United States in flawless
opportunities not only for:themselve~, but for their,
English. They were anticipating
children. While the grandfather seem~dsomewhat pessimistiC about present cond'ttions
particularly because, as he said, crimelwason the rl~e,and hisbicyclehad been ~tolen, something'
which has never, ever happened before. His daughters and son-in-law reminded him that they
didn't have to stand in line for butter.fuy more. In that exchange with this one family,. I sa\y
many o~ the pressures and tens~ons at Fork i~ any kind o~ transition period as 'Russia is .
, undergo mg. I came away; agam; extremely Impressed With the thoughtfulness and the attitudes
of the entire family. They are people '{vith very strong intellectual backgrounds who understand
what this transition requires. AndI think it is imperative that the United States and Americans
individually continue to support demo'cratic change and a free marke't economy because it is
certainly people like this family who Jvill prosper and lead the way becaiIse of their extraordinary
intellectual capacity if given the oppohunity to do so.
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) My last meeting in NovosibirsJ was with the Governor Mukha'and he explained to me
about his efforts to enhance the lives young people in Novosibirsk. And he, was particularly
articulate about his efforts to give youhg performers broader training and exposure; Some of the
extraordinary young people performedl for me. Their success is the result of some very ,
concentrated effort in Novosibirsk to ~elp young people with talent be successful so that the
cultural traditions that used to be state Isupported continue because there are so many talented
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of
extraordin~ilY ~nipressed
bir~h
As I departed from Siberiaalthbugh I was
by the
forests
and the beautiful physical surroundingk and impressed by the adults whom I met at the university
,and in whose home I visited, the lasting images I take with me are of the children. Because after
all the changes that Russia is going thrpugh and the efforts that are being undertaken by President
Yeltsin and his government, they are r~ally aimed at providing greater opportunities to young
people like this young girl and this ve& attractive young boy who was looking out the window as
our car left. And time and time again, II find it useful as I travel, and even here as I travel around.
my own coUntry to ask myself about y decision that is being contemplated by a government or
a business or any adult institution, willi this d~cision help enhance the opportunities for children?
Will it give a young boy like this the crance to go as far as his talent and motivation can take
him? And if we ask that question, I think, about a lot of decisions facing us, we will be making
the right decision. And I came away akain from this trip to Russia very encouraged and
impressed by the energy and the good hature and the optimism and the intelligence of the people
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UKRAINE
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I went from Russia to Ukraine. i My last stop was the city of L'viv in the western
region of Ukraine. And that is a region that many Ukrainian Americans trace their roots
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to. And my schedule was designed to pighlight America's commitment to Ukraine's
democratic transformation as well as our commitment to grassroots NGO development
especially among women and to helpirlg 'meet emergency health care,needs and to stress
again the importance of religious tolerAnce. Mrs. Kuchma acco~panied me for most of
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my visit and here we are at my first std.p which was, appropriately, the monument to
Shevchenko, known as the , I
"Bard of Ukraine." Born a serf.. and , later exiled to, St.
Petersburg, his works glorified Ukrainian history. During the Soviet period, no
monuments to him were allowed, althdugh'one was built in Washington, DC, in 1964. .
Following Ukraine's independence, a dtatue ofLenin was removed to make way for this
magnificent monument: And standing behind the statue is the "Ukrainian Wave," which
was added several years later to depict Ukraine's historic figures and events .
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partnership program is making. In this case: the partnership is with the Henry Ford
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,Health Center in Detroit. Since the pfu.tnership began, infant mortality has been reduced '
by 30%. This is an effective progran{. I wish I could tell' every' American about how',
effective so many of our aid program~ are and what a difference they are making. I was
pleased to learn that the Ministry of Health is working with US AID, AIHA and the
Henry Ford Health Center to establisfu centers li.ke this one throughout Ukraine. Such
efforts are critical, as the doctors and !nursesang ho~pital'administrators' explained in the
discussion we had because there has fueen a serious deterioration of the health care
system,
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I was particularly moved by ope mother who spoke ab'out how her child's life had
been saved because ofthe en:ergencyj services now avai,lable at ~his hospital. ' I :vas a~so
pleased that our government mtervened through' OperatIOn, ProvIde Hope,, workmg wIth
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, . the U.S.-based Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund ,and others, to make possible an airlift
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of pharmaceuticals. and medical supplies, including two ambulances equipped with '
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neonatal resuscitation equipment. I
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I also visited the historic Gilam Synagogue and was impressed with the attit,ude of
the Ukrainian government and peopld\Yho are supporting !l very strong commitment to .
religi~us freedom. And after decadeslofhards~ip; the Jewis~c?mmunity in Li,:vivopened
a JewIsh school that now serves almost200 chIldren. The NazIS had turned thIS
synagogue into a horse stable and lettl a signature of bullet holes -- still visible -- in the
ceiling of the beautiful building. Thei Soviets had used it asa ~arehouse. Today, people
can once again pray and worship freely.,
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str~SSed
.' . . And in my remarks I again'
how important it is ina democracy is to have freedom .
ofreligion and respect forpeople of d,ifferent religious faiths, I'm very impressed at the attitude
of the Ukrainian government and thepkrainian people in supporting such a strong commitment,
to religious freedom: We can see the;enthusiasticfaces of the children who are learning and "
studying here -- that it is making a difference: The Rabbi so profoundly said, during my visit,
that the children are becoming both JJwish and,Ukrainian, with great pride.,
'
Victim~
I then went to visit the Memolal Honoring
of Communist Repression, I sp'oke to '
' ,.I '
,
,
thousands of people gathered and told them 'that in their fight for freedom and democracy, the '
,
American people would stand by the~ .. I 'told them: ' , "
,
,
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Even in the face of unspeakable horrors, the people of Ukraine -- and others living
I
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under Soviet domination -- did not give up. Instead you found the best shield
against communist oppression'. You started dowri the road to democracy,
including free and fair elec~i01s., But., th~ journey. is far from over. Because
democracy does not end WIth a constItutIOn or a nght to vote~ As we have learned
in my country, democracy is ~ never:en9ing struggle ,that we must gr?pple with
every day ... But, if we want democracy and freedom to 'thrive, then we must build
,
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�democra~ic
minds;~here'
a civil society where
values live in oUT hearts and
people
stand up for what's fight,andtvhere the rule oflaw, not the htle of crime and
corruption, prevails.
. i
'.
..
.
.
Democracy will
thriVe~nlYi1
~-
use ourethnic
div~rsity
as a force not ;opull us apart, ..
. but rather to bring us together as you have done in ,Ukraine. It will thrive if women are
full participants in every aspec1t of society ... and if the people of Ukraine continue to forge
an alliance of values with the democratic community of nations.
~hich
ILge
~61d
I..
.'.' .
was very
standing in a
rain, included many. children and
The crowd,
many older people. I was particularly! impressed by the young mayor who publicly praised the
work of US AID in Ukrail)e and said thatL'viv is where it is today due to the help of US AID.
After I finished speaking, the crowd efupted into spontaneous singing of "May you have a long
life" -;. which is usually reserved for fkily and close friends. And I felt the extraordinary .
warmth and positive feelings that the ~eople have toward th~ United States.~hich I was
privileged to represent on that occasioh. And it reminded me of my many Ukrainian-American
friends and the stories they have toldxhe for years about how they never lost faith that Ukraine
would be free.
.
.
..: I
.
.'
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Mrs. Kuchma hosted a lovely lunch for me. at. .our hotel. And I discovered .over h,lnch that Mrs.
. I
.
.
Kuchma and my husband share a love of jazz. I have since sent her some of his and her favorite CD's.
•
I think that jazz may be the most universal language of all. .
Ic<l
.
in
Restoration Center. founded
1984. It is responsible
After lunch, we went to the
for research, restoration and preservatifn of these ancient and beautiful ~orks of fine art and
wooden sculpture. The staff at the Center has" and saved hundreds of works. .
restored
.
j
I
And I must say that the Directdr of the Center was even brave enough to allow Mrs.
Kuchma and me to attempt a little bit 1f restoration ourselves.
I also visited St. George'sCath~dral-- the seat of Ukrainian Catholicism. From ]945- .
, 1989, in Soviet Ukraine, the Ukrainianl Greek Catholic Church was forced underground and most
ofits Bishops were imprisoned. One dfits most famous exiled leaders, Metropolitan Slipyj, is
buried in the crypt and I was able to go' and visit the crypt and then to. see first-hand the beautiful
. restoration. Probably the most movin~ moment in the church was meeting some of the survivors
of the Underground Church, priests ana nuns who had kept faith alive and who are still by their
presence and their example reminding hot only but all people about the importance of religious
freedom.
..
.. . 1·
..
. ."
' , '.
I
After decades of bein'g driven Jnderground, the Chu~ch today is a vibrant community
which houses a special ministry to people with disabilities who were once relegated to the
outskirts of society. The Bishop told me that the reference in my speech to the important role
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I
.
�I
I
that women must playiri all spheres of Ukrainian society was critical to the future of the country
and he thanked me because so much o!f the work, whether it is promoting religious freedom or
caring for people with disabilities, is Being done by women who deserve the recognition and
.
I
.
support of their society. And I certainly was impressed at what I saw in the cathedral and the
I
kind of commitment to inclusiveness ~hat leaves no citizen out of society that programs such as
I '
this represent.
.
I
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My final appearance was a spebch to a capacity crowd in the absolutely beautiful L'viv
Opera. House. I was introduced in UIJainian by my Chief of Staff. Now many of you know
Melanne Starinshak Verveer and what! you may not know is that she went to a Ukrainian school,
she often spoke Ukrainian growing upl, she sang the Ukrainian national" anthem of freedom every
morning in schooL During the statevisit of President and Mrs."Kuc~a, I introduced Melanne
and my husband immediately intercedbd because of course'he's known Melanne from'
Georgetown far longer than I have. Ahdhe told President Kuchn1a that even when he knew"
Melanne as a student she told him "U~aine wilt' be free." And so this was for mea special
opportunity to see my friend and Chief of Staff returning to a place her grandparents had come
from and introduci,ng me to this audie~ce. Her appearance pro\'ided Ukraine with a tangible
symbol of the many contributions ofl[krainian-Americans to American society, as well as the
"
continuing efforts of Ukrainian-Amer.icans to help in Ukraine's democratic transition. The
I
.
them~ of my speech was the voices oflwomen and young, people, the voices of people throughout
Ukrame that needed to be heard because they were speakmg the new language of freedom and
"
I
democracy. I spoke particularly about the importance of building a c'ivil society:
I
,
"
"
"
Neither the rule of hlw'hor the free market can be sustained in isolation. If
I "
"
.
.
we do not have democracy, we cannot rest. If we do not have a free
market, we cannot rest. I And if we do not have the space between what the
market does and what the g'ovemment should not do -- the civil society -
we cannot rest. All are indispensable to the blessings of liberty and
prosperity.
In this space resides family and community life, religious traditions, and
participation in volunt~ry associations, Democracy depends on
individuals truly believing that they have a role to play in the life of their
country. It depends on Ipeople choosing -. not being compelled to -- but
choosing to participate'i And it depends on seeing to it that these habits of
the heart are passed from one generation to the next.
l
I want to make a particular
•
.
co~ent about women and women's roles; because:
This is a concern all ovbr the world, but it has a particular sharpness here.
For the legacy of comrJunism has placed special strains on women. In the
old state structures, tool many women are the first to lose their jobs and the
lastio get new ones. Too many women are prevented from getting proper
19
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,
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.
. '. ,
'
health care and from doing what they know they need'to do on beh~lf of
their families. Too man~ women often live in fear of violence at the hands
of family members.
A country's progress depends on the progress of women.
! particu! ar1 y noted that it IS a v tation 0 f hwnan rights when :.vornen are trafficked and I
arinounced that the United States Goverliment, 'in cooperation \'.'ith' the Europea~ Union, will be .
working with NGOs in Ukraine to laundh a new informatio~ campaign. We have seen' many
storiesjn the hist few months about wothen being tricked into. sold into. in some way 'pushed
part because they are."
into prostitution from Russia, Ukraine, ~nd otherNIS countries.
desperate, in part because they· ar,e being abused by people who are taking adv~~ageof them:
And we want to inform law enforcement, consular officers and international organizations to join
together to put a stop to this crime agaidst humanity. I was very pleased that I was able to meet
with some ofthe members of the aUdierlce after the speech at the opera house and that I was then
. able to see the crowd that was waiting ollutside before I left. This wasJhe end of a very exciting
and personally satisfying trip for me.
In
.
•
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.
We found that just as our trip ha6 begun, it ended with 'phme trouble because we had to
. de-ice th,~ plane. But that ~id not i~ an~ way?~pen :he high spirits that we ~ere brin~ing. back
. to the Umted States. DespIte our aIrpiaFle logIstIcal mIshaps. I was struckdunng my tnp With the
~sense of renewal and transformation thr6ughout the region .. This renewal cannot be measured by
statistics. But there is a new generationlofreform-minded leaders coming to power. There is a
riew awareness among citizens about wqat they have at stake in creating democracy and free
markets'.
.
.I
To be sure, the region facesfoJidable challenges. Many oLthese
de~ocracies
are
fragile. Yet, I believe there is far more tause for hope than despair. And the credit goes' to the
people of these countries who.have end~lred so much and come so far. And the United States
wants to be a partner with these new dethocracies to ensure their peace and prosperity into the.
21 st century. America has a stake in th~ir success .. Their hope is ours: too. Based on what 1 saw
l
and heard. in my very .short·visit 'hope isI alive and well and the United States should do all that
.
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we can to nurture it and help it grow in ~he soils of these very impressive. historic countries.,
Thank yo.u very much.
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20
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Lissa Muscatine - Press Office
Creator
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First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
Date
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1993 - 1997
Is Part Of
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36239" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
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2011-0415-S
Description
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<p>Lissa Muscatine first served in the Clinton Administration as a speechwriter. Within the First Lady’s Office, she served as Communications Director to the First Lady.</p>
<p>Lissa Muscatine’s records consist of materials from First Lady Hillary Clinton’s Press Office, highlighting topics such as health care, women’s rights, the Millennium Council, Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, and deal extensively with press interviews given by the First Lady; her domestic and foreign travel; and speeches and remarks, on a wide variety of topics, given by her before and during her time as First Lady. The records include interview transcripts, press releases, speeches and speech transcripts.</p>
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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Adobe Acrobat Document
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1,324 folders in 27 boxes
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Paper
Dublin Core
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Title
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FLOTUS Statements and Speeches 1/31/98 - 6/15/98 [Binder]: [Central Asia Briefing 2/17/98]
Is Part Of
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Box 21
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/2011-0415-S-Muscatine.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Creator
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First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
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2011-0415-S
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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Adobe Acrobat Document
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11/26/2012
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2011-0415-S-flotus-statements-speeches 1-31-98-1-6-15-binder-central-asia-briefing-2-17-98
7431941