09/18/13 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record - Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the people of Armenia , Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. These six countries are members of the European Union's Eastern Partnership, an initiative that aims to promote democratic values, rule of law, and economic opportunity in Eastern Europe.

Participation in the Eastern Partnership is strictly voluntary, in line with the long-standing international principle that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances.

Each of these six countries, to one degree or another, has made clear their interest in closer relations with the European Union and has chosen--again voluntarily--to participate in the Eastern Partnership.

Three of the Eastern Partnership countries--Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine--are poised to make historic strides in their relations with the European Union by initialing or signing Association Agreements at this November's Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. These Association Agreements, which include deep and comprehensive free trade provisions, will accelerate the process of political reform in each country and create conditions for extraordinary economic growth.

These Association Agreements pose no threat to other countries. Indeed, I believe that the greater geographic neighborhood and peoples of the Eastern Partnership countries would benefit from these countries' integration into the European economy. For this reason, I cannot understand nor do I condone threats of trade embargoes, energy price hikes, gas supply cutoffs, and other forms of intimidation that might dissuade Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine from a path they have voluntarily chosen.

Mr. Speaker, I call on any government engaged in such coercive practices to respect each country's right under international law to define and conduct its own relations.

I call on the Administration to stand with the people of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine at this important moment in Europe's history.