Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-03-13-Speech-4-216"
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".
Mr President, I should like to begin with a brief personal comment. I heard the contribution from Mr Dillen, representing a Belgian party of the far right, who indulged in a quite disgraceful comparison between circumstances in Belgium and those in Russia. Obviously I am bound to refute his assertions. I recognise in them the familiar methods to which his party habitually resorts and which merely amount to a form of insult. Let me state very clearly that such methods reflect no credit on those who employ them.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission is closely following developments in the wake of the demonstrations in Moscow and St Petersburg on 3 March: we are doing so not only via our delegation in Moscow but also through direct contacts with Member States. In addition, we liaise regularly with Russian and international NGOs working in the field of human rights. The Commission shares your concern about the apparent deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia and the incidence of reported human rights violations, particularly with regard to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. We were extremely disappointed when the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights was forced to conclude that it was not feasible to send an election observation mission. In its bilateral contacts with Russia, including at the highest level, the European Union regularly underscores the importance of respecting human rights.
In a month’s time, we shall have one of our two annual consultations with Russia on the subject of human rights. These consultations give us an opportunity to explore general trends in human rights in greater depth and to hear the Russian point of view on individual cases. In the forthcoming consultation we will convey our concerns, particularly about the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, the problems posed by the rise of racism and xenophobia, and cooperation with Russia in international organisations such as the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The consultations also enable us to raise the cases of individuals. Before and after this consultation, we will meet a group representing Russian and international NGOs which work for human rights. Such meetings put the European Union in touch with the concerns of human rights activists and enable us to exchange views directly.
Looking somewhat further ahead, we should soon be in a position to embark on negotiations on a new agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation. It will be a comprehensive agreement, embracing the growing number of policy areas in which we cooperate. As the European Union statement following the Russian presidential election pointed out, we have a common interest in furthering our ties and we hope that our partnership will be consolidated and developed constructively under the presidency of Dmitri Medvedev. We will take care, when negotiating the new agreement, to ensure that it reflects the values to which both sides have committed themselves: a thriving civil society and independent media are the natural and necessary allies of growth and stability in Russia. We have learned this from our own experience in the European Union and it is a message that we shall doggedly continue – as neighbours and partners – to convey to our Russian friends both on a day-to-day basis and in discussions about the shape of our future relations. I know already that the European Parliament will lend us its unstinting support in these efforts."@en1
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