Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-15-Speech-4-213"
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"en.20051215.37.4-213"2
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"Mr President, I hope that this empty Chamber does not reflect our lack of interest in what happens in Russia, however understandable the situation is here on a Thursday afternoon. What happens in Russia is in our interests; its interests are our interests.
Sadly, the clock in Russia is now being turned back nearly to Soviet times. There is, at the moment, no independent judiciary, there is no free television, and the political opposition has been totally marginalised. I will not even talk about what is happening in Chechnya; human life is very cheap there. Regarding NGOs, what happens to them is another link in this far too long chain of sad events in Russia.
We cannot be the victim of the ‘NIMBY’ syndrome: not in my back yard. Indeed, it is all in our back yard. It concerns us all. Old habits die very hard in the Soviet Union, but we have to help Russia to come back towards democracy and universal values. First of all, it is in the interests of the Russian people: they deserve liberty, democracy and transparent governance. We also cannot work with a partner who does not adhere to international rules. We have to help Russia become a confident nation which sees that there is no conflict between strength and a democratic, thriving civil society. We have to speak with one voice; otherwise, we reduce our position to something insignificant. We cannot have a good Christmas, we cannot have a good conscience, if we do not see what is happening to our near neighbour."@en1
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