Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-25-Speech-3-083"
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"en.20050525.13.3-083"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Malmström report is a balancing act. Let me say straight away that the European Union quite obviously always gives priority to countries that are members of the European Union, and that these countries are granted particular protection and support for historical, political and economic reasons. In this instance, this applies primarily to Poland and the Baltic states.
Secondly, we cannot ignore the fact that Russia is undergoing a major transformation, and that throwing off the Soviet system is a key aspect of this process. The success of the latter in many areas means that supporters of the old Soviet system now appear to have no real chance any more of being elected in Russia.
Thirdly, we must realise that a process of this kind can only work in the long run if it is based on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and we must acknowledge that there are grounds for criticism in this respect. This brings me on to my fourth point, however, which is that we must keep lines of dialogue with Russia open. It is for this reason that we are building a strategic partnership, which has been embodied in the four common areas, for example, and the common energy policy, which will be formulated in such a way as to prevent one
sided dependence on our part. The events that will take place in 2007, and our joint preparations for these events, will also be a focus for this strategic partnership, as 2007 will see the expiry of the partnership and cooperation agreements, the holding of elections in Russia and the planned entry of Russia into the WTO. Enlargement will perhaps have been completed by this time, and we may even have a constitution. It follows that we must make sensible preparations for 2007, when all these events may take place.
In my opinion, and even though we must continue to voice our criticisms, it would therefore be useful to emphasise the importance of keeping channels of dialogue open. This would allow us to help ensure that developments in Russia move in a sensible direction, which is in both our interests and our neighbours’ interests, and would help prevent fresh outbreaks of hostility. Most importantly, dialogue with Russia is necessary because we need the country’s help on such matters as the Middle East, the UN and the Security Council. Even though criticism is necessary, therefore, we should also maintain a spirit of friendly cooperation, and we should continue to pursue the goal of achieving such a balance."@en1
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