Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-06-13-Speech-2-198"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060613.26.2-198"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I would concur with Mr Eurlings’ final remarks. We have drafted an excellent joint resolution covering many aspects which I cannot repeat in the two minutes allotted to me. I also share Mr Eurlings' criticism of the somewhat pragmatic way in which cooperation with the Russian Federation is fleshed out by working in those four areas.
Taking practical steps is, in principle, to be welcomed, as was demonstrated recently with visa facilitation between the EU and Russia, although this gets a little in the way of the balance that should be struck between the different areas we regard as important. Policy should not become fragmented, which is exactly what is at risk of happening with the system of the four areas and the steps that are taken within each of those. We must continue to look for a common denominator in respect of this cooperation. Three elements are important in this.
Energy has already been mentioned. We need a more transparent way of working together, which should indeed involve us refraining from exerting political pressures, as is occasionally done in the area of energy.
Secondly, we must enter into a critical human rights dialogue with Russia about the situation within Russia itself, about the Chechens, about the NGOs, about the authoritarian tendencies which the government is increasingly adopting, but also about democracy in its immediate neighbourhood, such as Belarus, in particular.
Thirdly, we must look for solutions for a number of security problems in the region in which respect Russia has not, as yet, made any really constructive contribution – Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan spring to mind.
It is important, in our view, that justice should be done to all three elements. We should not give preferential treatment to one element to the detriment of the others. Accordingly, gas should not take priority over democracy, or vice versa. All three elements I mentioned must be central on the common agenda. This year is a good time for this. We can talk to Russia because it is chairing the G8 and because it occupies the presidency, no less, of the Council of Europe.
There is a certain tension if you want to play on all three fields at once, but that tension is normal when foreign policy is involved, when Russia is involved, and in that sense we must try to be clear in our policy by emphasising all three elements and not backing away from a critical dialogue about the things in Russia that we do not find agreeable."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples