The last resolution of the European Parliament on Russia will be a new headache for Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.
Photo: Ilya Pitalev
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Realignment for Partnership
// European Parliament passed an anti-Russia resolution on the eve of strategic agreement with Moscow
The European Parliament passed a very strict resolution on Russia yesterday. The document calls on EU countries to reconsider their relations with Moscow, taking into account the allegedly bad situation with democratic rights and freedoms in Russia. The resolution was passed on the eve of the negotiations for the new Russia-EU partnership treaty which are to start in November.
The resolution passed in Strasbourg calls on 25 EU states to take a strict stand on Russia in the course of the upcoming discussion of the strategic agreement on cooperation between Russia and the EU. The resolution is not a legally obligatory document. Its primary purpose is to put political pressure on EU governments, making them take a tougher stand on Russia. The resolution denounces the situation with democratic rights and freedoms in Russia, saying that the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya is the last manifestation of the process of silencing mass media.
The resolution was ratified on the eve of the negotiations for the contents of a new Russia-EU partnership treaty. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that the first round of talks on the new cooperation treaty might begin already in late November. Lavrov pointed out that Russia will defend the principles of equality and mutual benefit.
Meanwhile, if united Europe follows the European Parliament’s advice, it will put human rights and democracy as the major issues, while Moscow will stress economic partnership and “mutual benefit”. So, it will be hard for the parties to reach agreement. Moreover, Moscow and Europe do not see eye to eye on mutual benefit and equality in business partnership, as it follows from the unfinished discussion of the unratified Moscow Europe energy charter.
Sergey Strokan
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 26, 2006
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