Summary of the speech by Olivier Dupuis, Radical MEP, during today's debate in the European Parliament on the results of the EU-Russia Summit.
Strasbourg, 19 November 2003. In his speech during the course of the debate on the conclusions of the European Union - Russian Federation Summit which took place recently in Rome under the Italian presidency, Olivier Dupuis underlined the following points:
- the construction of a strategic relationship between the European Union and the Russian Federation is not contested by anyone: on the contrary, it is - rightly - welcomed by most parties both for political and economic reasons;
- it is precisely for these reasons that the development of such a relationship cannot allow us to overlook the evolution in progress in the Russian Federation, especially with regard to the reinforcement of democracy and the Rule of Law;
- On this subject, it is impossible not to notice a deterioration since 1999, in particular due to the decision to place important and previously independent media organs under supervision, the exercise of growing pressure on the judicial system, and above all the implementation in Chechnya of a veritable mass extermination;
- During the last four years, neither the Commission nor the Council have exerted real pressure on the Moscow authorities to stop this serious process of deterioration;
- As far as the regression in the spheres of justice and of the freedom of expression are concerned, the Commission and the Council have reacted either with silence or with empty condemnations; - As far as Chechnya is concerned, neither the Commission led by Romano Prodi nor the Council have ever taken concrete initiatives to give a political content to their statement that the solution to the Russian-Chechen tragedy must be a political solution;
- President Berlusconi's comment that the reports in the media on the situation in Chechnya are "myths" is an insult to the Chechen dead and to those still alive, an insult to the citizens of the European Union and to the members of the EP;
- Many citizens and many members of the European Parliament expect President Berlusconi to correct his statements during the next plenary session of the EP in December;
- The future of the Caucasus, especially of Chechnya and of Georgia, where the situation is becoming equally worrying, lies in membership of the European Union.