Posted on 05/13/2006 9:38:32 AM PDT by snugs
Vice President Dick Cheney recently visited Eastern Europe the following are links to his speeches and a photo essay of the trip.
I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT NO PHOTOS OR GRAPHICS ARE POSTED UNTIL I GIVE THE ALL CLEAR SO THAT WE KEEP A CHRONLOGICAL RECORD OF THE TRIP.
QUOTE OF THE VISIT
Vice President's Remarks at the 2006 Vilnius Conference
Reval Hotel Lietuva
Vilnius, Lithuania
America and all of Europe also want to see Russia in the category of healthy, vibrant democracies. Yet in Russia today, opponents of reform are seeking to reverse the gains of the last decade. In many areas of civil society -- from religion and the news media, to advocacy groups and political parties -- the government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of her people. Other actions by the Russian government have been counterproductive, and could begin to affect relations with other countries. No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail, either by supply manipulation or attempts to monopolize transportation. And no one can justify actions that undermine the territorial integrity of a neighbor, or interfere with democratic movements.
Russia has a choice to make. And there is no question that a return to democratic reform in Russia will generate further success for its people and greater respect among fellow nations. Democratization in Russia helped to end the Cold War, and the Russian people have made heroic progress in overcoming the miseries of the 20th century. They deserve now to live out their peaceful aspirations under a government that upholds freedom at home, and builds good relations abroad.
None of us believes that Russia is fated to become an enemy. A Russia that increasingly shares the values of this community can be a strategic partner and a trusted friend as we work toward common goals. In that spirit, the leading industrialized nations will engage Russia at the Group of Eight Summit in St. Petersburg this summer. We will make the case, clearly and confidently, that Russia has nothing to fear and everything to gain from having strong, stable democracies on its borders, and that by aligning with the West, Russia joins all of us on a course to prosperity and greatness. The vision we affirm today is of a community of sovereign democracies that transcend old grievances, that honor the many links of culture and history among us, that trade in freedom, respect each other as great nations, and strive together for a century of peace.
Our cooperation is vital, because democracies have great duties in today's world. The challenges of a new era require concerted action by nations and peoples who believe liberty is worth defending. For the sake of our security, we must act decisively against known dangers. And to secure freedom and peace for generations to come, we must be true to the democratic dreams of others, and remember our brothers and sisters who have kept their hopes in exile.
With the aid of an interpreter Vice President Dick Cheney and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev spend a final moment to talk alone before concluding meetings in Astana, Kazakhstan, Friday, May 5, 2006.
The Vice President and Mrs. Cheney met with the youth to encourage people-to-people ties between the US and Kazakhstan May 6, 2006
Vice President Dick Cheney participates in a breakfast meeting with representatives of Kazakhstani opposition groups Saturday, May 6, 2006, in Astana, Kazakhstan. During the meeting the political leaders shared their ideas regarding political and economic reform and the advancement of democracy in Kazakhstan 
Good to see.
Thanks for the pics.
Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney stand inside the atrium of the Rector's Palace, a gothic monument constructed in 1435 upon the foundations of structures dating back to the middle ages, during a tour of the Old City of Dubrovnik, Croatia, Saturday, May 6, 2006.
Vice President Dick Cheney (2nd L), Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha (L), Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader (2nd R) and Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski (R), prepare for a photograph before a meeting of Adriatic leaders in Dubrovnik, Croatia, May 7, 2006
Vice President Dick Cheney stands with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, left, Croatian Prime Miniser Ivo Sanader, center right, and Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski, right, before the multilateral meeting of the Adriatic Charter countries, Sunday, May 7, 2006 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Vice President Dick Cheney , third left background, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, third right background, and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski accompanied by their delegations talk during an Adriatic Charter meeting in Dubrovnik, Sunday, May 7, 2006. Croatia, Macedonia and Albania signed an 'Adriatic Charter' with the United States in May 2003 designed to facilitate their integration into the North Atlantic Alliance. The three countries hope to join by 2008
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