Debat over relatie met Rusland in aanloop naar topconferentie (en)

The House debated EU-Russia relations ahead of the forthcoming summit which take place in Mafra (Portugal) on Friday 26 October. The twice-yearly summits are hosted by Russia and by the country holding the rotating presidency of the European Union. MEPs voted by 321 for and 309 against, to postpone the vote on a resolution to a plenary after the summit. On the request of Christopher Beazley (EPP-ED, UK), the verbatim coverage of the debate will be handed to the Russian authorities at the summit.

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SANCHEZ-NEYRA  (EPP-ED, ES) said that the strategic relationship with Russia was important but that "the climate at the upcoming meeting in Mafra will depend more on Russian than on the European side." He highlighted the importance of raising issues such as security of energy supply at the meeting. With that in mind, he stated that "decisions or acts taken against one Member State should be seen as attacks on all of the EU." We must "defend the interest of the EU in a pragmatic way", he added, but "hard figures should not blind us to principles. Our commitment to human rights is inalienable."  

Jan WIERSMA (PES, NL) said that at the upcoming summit, "we should remember that we share a lot of common interests" and that cooperation was important where major international issues are at stake. He stressed that "mutuality and reciprocity should be our starting point", pointing, among other things, to the need for "more cooperation in the Black Sea region. Yet, at the same time, we "need to support democratic development in Russia." Expressing concern about the fairness of the upcoming Duma election, Mr Wiersma said "we need to be willing to work with OSCE on electoral observation."  We "need to cast a critical eye when it comes to human rights and democracy but should avoid polarisation."

Graham WATSON (ALDE, UK) claimed that the summit in Samara "exposed the cracks in our relationship with Russia. Those fissures have become fault lines, these have become wide and deep." Watson criticised ignoring Russia's denial of "Europe's sacred values, like freedom, democracy, rule of law, which are conspicuously absent in Russia today." More honesty was needed regarding Russia's upcoming elections. If human cloning were legal, Putin would probably consider cloning himself and running both for president and prime minister, following in the footsteps of the Kaczynskis, he said. He went on to say that it is incredible that a new autocracy was gaining ground in the country which overturned oligarchy in 1917. "The Reform Treaty promised the European Parliament a real say on external action, so let's deliver a message at summit that President Mr. Putin cannot ignore."

Konrad SZYMA?SKI (UEN, PL) criticised the leaders of the EPP-ED and PES for deciding not to take a resolution before the Summit: "this is a huge mistake", showing that "we still have a problem dealing with Russia." Before the last summit in Samara a resolution had been declared: "I hope our silence today doesn't mean we are trying to back-track. If our line from Samara is compromised, "Russia will end up believing that it can overlook or ignore the reality of EU integration and enlargement. Such a policy will mean an "assent to discriminate" against countries in East and Central Europe"

Bart STAES  (Greens/EFA, BE) asked the Portuguese Minister if he were living on Mars or Venus for declaring that the relations with Russia are good. "Is the  EU only about money and naked commerce? Is that more important than democracy and human rights?," he asked. "Russia is slipping down a slippery slope down to dictatorship", secret police forces are being deployed and all sorts of trickery was used by those trying to hang on to power. "Human rights in Russia continue to be under pressure, the state of democracy is lamentable." The press was sliding into strict self-censorship. "Reality is that free elections are a utopia. Any one who tolerates these things is complicit with it."

The need for "sensible, practical proposals" for working with Russia was stressed by Helmut MARKOV (DE) for the GUE/NGL. "Stability and development in Europe and worldwide are impossible unless we co-operate with Russia" in areas such as foreign policy (e.g. in Kosovo, the Middle East, Iran and Transnistria), new technologies and travel visas, he said.

"The EU and Russia should stop acting like two cities joined only by a road and a pipeline, said Jana BOBOSIKOVA (CZ), for the non-attached group. Energy aside, Russia currently exports to the EU only about as much as it exports to Morocco or Argentina, she noted, stressing the need to build a stable business climate for investment and trade.