I salute the participants of the Washington Conference, representatives of the states that expressed readiness to extend a helping hand to the peoples of Russia and other Republics of the former U.S.S.R. at this crucial juncture.

We have opted irrevocably for creating a civilized, democratic state in which an individual is the supreme value and where his or her interests constitute the basis of the state's foreign and domestic policies. However, one has to pay dearly for past mistakes and delusions.

Humanitarian and other forms of assistance by the international community will no doubt help alleviate the difficulties our population is facing as we move to a market economy. As for a way toward genuine economic and social revival of our country, we see it in a large-scale and diverse business-like cooperation with all those who are interested in it. Russia is open to foreign enterprise, and we are creating the necessary legal guarantees for investment, economic activity, and repatriation of profits. An equal economic partnership should become one of the decisive factors contributing to a rapid development of economic life in our country.

Expressing our gratitude to the international community for its assistance, I would like to reiterate that the leadership of Russia shall take all measures that are necessary to ensure its delivery to concrete addresses and its fair distribution.

I wish the participants in the Conference fruitful and successful work in resolving a humanitarian task of providing help to those who really need it today.

(Text from Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents of February 3, 1992.)