Brussels, 07/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 6 December in Brussels, the commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konstantin Dolgov, presented a report on the human rights situation in the European Union - a report which had been published the previous day. Highlighting a deterioration in these rights, he emphasised inter alia racism, xenophobia, neo-nazism, violations of human rights for minorities - including the Russian minority, prisoners and refugees, as well as gender inequality and freedom of the media. “We are not saying that the European countries are not democratic but that issues should be tackled”, Dolgov said, also speaking of the importance of national sovereignty. “We believe that no one should have the monopoly of assessing the situation of human rights in other countries”, he said, while the EU regularly criticises human rights in Russia.
The 60 page report, based on information coming from different national and international organisations, states that European countries have not signed certain international treaties on human rights. “The EU itself has not signed the European Convention on Human Rights - when all the member states have signed it. It's incredible”, Dolgov added.
Dolgov regretted that human rights are a national prerogative. “There is a paradoxical situation. There is a great deal of economic and financial integration but humanitarian integration is lagging behind”, he noted. Speaking of the role of the special representative for human rights, Dolgov said that Stavros Lambrinidis was held to promote human rights in the whole world - except the EU. “Who is dealing with human rights inside the EU? There is not much response to this subject”, he said, while Viviane Reding is nevertheless the European commissioner for fundamental rights.
Dolgov also called for closer cooperation between the EU and Russia. “We need constructive cooperation and interaction. I hope that this will happen with our European partners. (…) There are issues that go beyond borders and we should think together how to solve them”, he said (our translation throughout). Human rights will be tackled at the EU-Russia summit on 21 December. The report is available at the following address: http://www.mid.ru . (CG/transl.fl)