Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-10-Speech-3-005"
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, since the Russian military operations in the Russian Federal Republic of Chechnya resumed in September 1999, the situation there has been treated as a priority by the European Union. Both the conclusions of the Helsinki European Council, back in December 1999, and the actions of the presidencies which have followed it, are testimony to this. Contrary to what some people predicted, this position has not altered following the attacks of 11 September.
With regard to the NGOs, last January the creation of the Council for the protection of human rights in Chechnya was agreed, which would be made up of representatives of these non-governmental organisations, the public prosecutor’s office, the security forces and local authorities, and which would meet on a monthly basis. Furthermore, within this repertoire of positive measures, the Chechen police are present at control posts on the Republic’s transport routes. However, in view of the analysis of the current situation, these measures are insufficient.
With regard to the humanitarian situation, there is still the ongoing tragedy of the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons, who are mainly dissuaded from returning to Chechnya by the continuing situation of insecurity and there are also certain difficulties to be faced by the humanitarian organisations in carrying out their work. We also have to recognise that the Russian authorities have adopted different measures in the region: as well as the creation of the aforementioned working groups with the NGOs, which will provide a forum in which to deal with these issues, the Russian authorities have applied various measures to normalise life. These measures are not restricted to socio-economic development plans, the reopening of educational establishments or the reestablishment of the public pensions system, but they also extend to the drawing up of a draft constitution which will have to be put to a referendum. This will lead to the holding of new elections in which the population of the region will be able to elect their representatives.
In view of the persistence of the problems I have just described, the European Union has exploited – and will continue to exploit – all channels of dialogue in order to communicate its position to the Russian authorities, and that position is based on the following points: firstly, the European Union recognises the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation as well as its right and responsibility to protect its population from terrorist attacks, which the Union condemns unreservedly. This recognition is accompanied by a double consideration: firstly, the Union expresses its firm conviction that that responsibility to protect the population must be fulfilled within the framework of the Rule of Law and strict compliance with respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, which are enshrined in numerous treaties to which the Russian Federation is party.
The European Union requests that the Russian authorities try and punish the people responsible for human rights violations, thereby eliminating any risk of impunity, which unfortunately some people have enjoyed in the past. Those authorities are furthermore urged to provide federal officials with appropriate training in the field of human rights, which would prevent these events from reoccurring in the future.
I would like to acknowledge the contribution made in this area by the Council of Europe and the Office of the United Nations’ High Commission for Human Rights, and take this opportunity to express the European Union’s support for the work of these organisations and the OSCE in Chechnya.
The Union also wants the Russian authorities to continue to cooperate with the international bodies and NGOs in order to eliminate the obstacles that are still hindering their work. Specifically, these organisations must be allowed access to detention centres and they must be provided with the means for radio communication. An improvement in the human rights situation will undoubtedly encourage the return of displaced persons. The removal of the restrictions which currently make access to the area for the media difficult will also contribute to increasing trust, both within the civil population and within the international community.
The second major point of the Union’s position is that terrorist acts carried out by Chechen armed factions are without doubt part of the problem but they are by no means the whole problem. A lasting solution to this problem therefore depends on the normalisation of civilian life by means of the restoration of democratic mechanisms and structures in the Chechen Republic. That result must be achieved through dialogue with the various sectors of Chechen society. In this regard, the European Union is urging the Russian authorities to renew the contacts initiated last November.
Thirdly, the European Union believes that its position on this issue is level-headed, since, on the one hand, it has no hesitation in acknowledging the progress made and, on the other, it must continue to indicate those areas in which there are still serious shortcomings. The Union is thereby acting fully in accordance with the values that underpin both its very existence and its relations with third countries, including the strategic relationship between the European Union and Russia.
The core of these values shared by the Union and Russia is the respect for the Rule of Law and the safeguard of human rights and fundamental freedoms. This attitude of equanimity and coherence will also guide the European Union’s actions with regard to the treatment of Chechnya at the 58th sitting of the Humans Rights Commission.
The Union has informed the Russian authorities of its full willingness to negotiate a Presidency declaration that incorporates both progress and shortcomings in similar terms to those which I have expressed in this House. Also, we have told those authorities that if this willingness on the part of the Union is not reflected by Russia, the European Union will not hesitate in adopting a resolution, as was necessary during the 2001 session.
The Spanish Presidency has been acting and will continue to act throughout this six-month period in a way that is fully coherent with this issue of concern to the Union. The Presidency’s work plan for the development of a common strategy for Russia included a paragraph which indicated our will to “continue to express the Union’s desire for an early peaceful solution in Chechnya within the framework of the principle territorial integrity, the Rule of Law and respect for human rights, to promote an improvement of the conditions for the safer and more effective distribution of humanitarian aid”.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it only remains for me to insist on the firmness and coherence of the Union’s position, which will continue to treat the Chechen situation as a priority in terms of its relations with Russia, and it will continue to direct all its attention and efforts towards it as events require, and I would also like to say that this issue will form a significant part of the dialogue that will take place on 28 May at the summit between Russia and the European Union.
In the months since January, these intentions have been turned into various concrete actions. The Presidency has included the Chechen issue on the agenda of all political talks between the European Union and Russia at various levels, with both political representatives, such as the European Union-Russia Ministerial troika, the European Union-Russia political directors’ troika and the PSC-Russia troika, and in meetings of experts, the so-called COEST troika.
On the occasion of the recent ministerial-level troika with the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Ivanov, on 2 April, the issue was once again raised by the Presidency. Furthermore, at the beginning of March, the troika of Union Heads of Mission in Moscow made a representation to the Russian Federation’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Gusarov, to express the Union’s concern at the human rights situation in the region.
We must add to all these actions, which have served to communicate the Union’s position on the development of the Caucasus Republic to the Russian authorities, the request for, and subsequent support from Russia for, the trip which the troika of Heads of Mission intends to make to the region during April, which will allow us to obtain information on the development of events. For this same purpose of compiling information, the troika of Heads of Mission maintains frequent contacts with representatives of NGOs and competent authorities such as Mr Kalamanov, the Kremlin’s special representative for human rights in Chechnya, or Mr Yastrzhembsky, the presidential spokesman.
While explaining these specific measures, which are not restricted in this case to those being developed by the Spanish Presidency in particular, I must point out that the Union’s concern has been translated into a significant financial commitment. The European Union is currently the greatest donor of humanitarian aid to the region. The sums allocated to it amount to EUR 65 million for the period between the resumption of military operations in 1999 and the current time. Of these sums, EUR 40 million has been earmarked for 2001.
With regard to the current situation in Chechnya, I would like to stress certain aspects. In the field of human rights, all the reports from the OSCE support group, from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and from the various NGOs continue to give cause for concern. Lord Judd stated in the report communicated to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that the progress observed in this field over the last year had been scant. The report of the support group of the OSCE for the early months of this year with regard to military operations carried out during this period spoke of civilian disappearances, lootings, the indiscriminate use of force and other violations of the human rights of civilians, all of this in contravention of what had been previously agreed. The representative of the public prosecutor’s office was not present during all operations.
We must acknowledge the steps taken by the Russian authorities to improve the situation. President Putin – we must recognise – has expressed his commitment that the people guilty of human rights violations, including the military, will be tried and punished. These statements have also been repeated by other official representatives.
The Office of the Kremlin’s Special Representative for Human Rights in Chechnya has carried out its work, condemning alleged violations of human rights. The Russian authorities are cooperating with the organisations active in this area. With regard to the intergovernmental organisations, in addition to cooperation with the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the mandate of the OSCE support group in Chechnya has been renewed until 31 December 2002; three representatives of the Council of Europe are continuing to participate in the same office and the work of the mixed working group consisting of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Duma are continuing their work."@en1
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