Public Remarks
Opening Remarks at the Conference of U.S. and Russian Veterans’ Organizations in Developing and Strengthening of International Cooperation
William J. Burns, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Moscow, November 06, 2007
Minister Lavrov, General Aushev, Mister Lisicki, friends, good morning! Thank you all so much for coming together here today to discuss an issue so vital to so many millions of the citizens of both of our nations. The POW/MIA issue is one without national politics. Its resolution provides relief to families suffering the loss of loved ones without knowledge of their fate and allows for greater understanding between our peoples through a cooperative effort that will hopefully lead to closer and enduring bonds of friendship between the United States and the Russian Federation.
Fifteen years ago the presidents of our countries established the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. During this time the Joint Commission has done a tremendous service to both nations in clarifying the fates of thousands of missing Russian and American servicemen.
I am personally excited to see that the effort to account for the missing of our two nations has now expanded beyond our governments and that veterans' organizations are now joining in to assist with this effort. In the previous two years our ties with veterans' organizations have become closer with the assistance provided by Generals Aushev and Gromov to the Moscow office of the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission in interviewing dozens of Soviet veterans. In turn we arranged, at General Aushev's request, for an information exchange at our Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii for four Russian forensic pathologists where our scientists worked on identifying the remains of a Soviet soldier recovered from Afghanistan. Additionally, at General Aushev's request, U.S. veterans' organizations donated hundreds of DNA kits to assist the Russian Federation in establishing a DNA bank to assist in the future identification of Russian losses. We continue to provide information on Soviet losses/MIAs from Afghanistan and will provide more information during U.S. Chairman, General Foglesong's visit to Russia early in December.
I wish you all great success in your endeavors as the families of both of our nations are counting on your efforts to provide them with the answers that they deserve.