Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-26-Speech-4-012"
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"en.20040226.1.4-012"2
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"Mr President, my group strongly endorses the critical positions set out in the Belder report. There is an unacceptable situation in Chechnya, where the Russian army is engaged in gross violations of human rights. There are disturbing internal political changes within Russia, with what is termed ‘managed democracy’ increasingly taking on authoritarian characteristics, and we also take a highly critical line on Russia’s dealings with the new Member States of the European Union.
The European Union formerly adopted a two-track strategy in its dealings with Russia; underlying it was the fact that Russia is – and must be – one of our most important strategic partners. A two-track strategy does not of course mean that we refrain from criticism – on the contrary; it is when strategic relationships are being developed that there has to be a central role for engagement with our canon of values, for the upholding of democracy, of the standards associated with the rule of law, and of human rights. At the same time, though, it was also our concern to achieve the sustainable mutual interconnection of Russia and the European Union, and not only by means of the partnership and cooperation agreement. I think this would not be the moment to put question marks against this strategy; in so doing, we would be letting go of the opportunities we have for really getting to grips with internal political developments or with the situation in Chechnya. Moreover, I believe, we ought to be far more serious about concerning ourselves with social conditions in Russia. The life expectancy of men in Russia has decreased by ten years over the past twelve years – a tragic development, and one that characterises the situation in many parts of that country.
Although I endorse Mr Belder’s criticisms of Russian policy, I would have liked the report to have made more explicit what he said in his speech just now, with his trenchant criticism of the Council’s actions and of the European governments whose dealings with Russia are based on economic rather than strategic considerations. Ever since 11 September, many governments – and not only Mr Berlusconi’s, but also the German Federal Government – have been allowing the war in Chechnya to be trivialised as part of the war on terrorism, and so we keep quiet about it.
I do not think it is enough to think of Russia as a strategic partner only in the economic sense or in terms of securing our borders and preventing trafficking in human beings. Our relations with Russia have to be characterised by mutuality and interpenetration."@en1
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