Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-27-Speech-3-203"
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"en.19991027.7.3-203"2
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"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, relations with the Russian Federation are very important. All of us in this House agree about that, and it has been said again and again through a multiplicity of decisions. Against this background, I naturally welcome the fact that the partnership agreement has now been translated into concrete fact, that there are regular consultations and that every possible question is being discussed and, in that way, positive results even achieved. I also welcome the fact that the new Secretary-General of the Council, Mr Solana, has declared that, from his point of view, policy towards Russia has first priority. It is certainly only right that that too should be the case.
So much for the good news. Now for the bad news. I do not want to conceal the fact – and I have in fact been involved with policy towards Russia for a number of years now – that there are aspects of it which are hugely frustrating. In connection with Russia, the same themes appear over and over again on the agenda, whatever the Committee concerned and irrespective of whether it is a question of the fight against crime, economic reforms or sensible legislation in Russia concerning, for example, banking or taxes. And nowhere can any effective progress be seen. That is frustrating.
It is just as apparent that, now as before, a large part of the flow of aid to Russia (I need only mention the letters IMF or International Monetary Fund) disappears into a bottomless pit. It is regrettable that we cannot achieve any real progress on this issue. Just as frustrating is what is happening at the moment in Chechnya and being conveyed to our television screens. I do not want to say anything more at all just now about the infringements of human rights because quite a lot has already been said about these at the last plenary part-session. They are alarming, and we must condemn them and address the issue. But I believe too that what is now being done in Russia to solve the problem is really no solution. Mr Putin may perhaps have some short-term successes in the area of domestic politics, but he will not in the end solve the problem of minorities within Russia and the problem of a certain necessary decolonisation.
The Russian government would be well advised to look at examples partly to be found in their own country – I mention only Tatarstan – and to try to find other political solutions instead of doing what they are doing at the moment where, in the end, any success will be outweighed by the damage done. This must be said because one must be honest with partners and also tell them the truth."@en1
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