Strasbourg, 09/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with EUROPE, Anne Brasseur, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe speaks about the tensions with the Russian delegation against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis and the challenges facing the Belgian Presidency on the eve of its taking up the reins of the Committee of Ministers. (interview by VL)
Agence Europe - The autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has taken place once again without the Russian delegation which “slammed the door” in April when sanctions were imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, suspending some of its powers including the right to vote. Where do talks on its return stand?
Anne Brasseur - I'm doing all I can to maintain contact with Moscow and PACE is very supportive of my efforts. I have met the Speaker of the Duma several times but discussions are difficult because, as the Russians see it, there was no annexation of Crimea or breach of international law. They say a referendum was held and talk about democratic will. It's a very complex situation.
In January, the powers of all delegations including Russia's, will be re-assessed. Do you think that PACE could reverse its decision, thus allowing the Russian delegation to come back to the Chamber “with its head held high”?
It's not for me to prejudge the PACE vote but it is likely that the powers of the Russian delegation will once again be challenged and that the vote will not go in its favour.
The Russian voice is a loss in the Chamber, however, particularly in debates on Ukraine and also on the terrorist group Islamic State.
That's true. An assembly like ours has many adversarial debates among the representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. It is a place where it is possible, and important, to listen to one another even though we do not share the same point of view.
Some, including your predecessor Jean-Claude Mignon, were not in favour of sanctions against Russia, evoking the famous parliamentary dialogue that should not be broken if solutions are to be found. Do you share his point of view?
In annexing Crimea, Russia breached international law and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing Ukraine's external borders, as well as the Council of Europe's principles of territorial integrity. There had to be a response but, and it's important to underline this, this response did not deprive the Russian delegation of its rights. A provisional suspension was declared. From my point of view, it was the right decision.
The Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize was won this year by Anar Mammadli, an Azeri dissident currently in prison, when Azerbaijan is chairing the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. Was this a political choice?
The two mustn't be linked. The award of the Vaclav Havel Prize is a symbol honouring the prize winner and all those who fight for human rights no matter the context in which they are working. The Azeri Presidency is different. It was difficult, not as such - Baku performed its role admirably at the head of the Committee of Ministers - but insofar as, within the country, human rights deficiencies are systemic. I stated this clearly from the rostrum of the Chamber on 2 October, speaking directly to the Azeri foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov, after thanking him for his country's six-month presidency.
In November, Belgium will take over from Azerbaijan. How do you see its six-month presidency?
The challenges it will face are huge. On the one hand, there are relations with the Russian delegation, with the January vote falling right in the middle of the Belgian presidency, and, on the other, the situation in Europe's neighbourhood, in Iraq and Syria especially, where a human tragedy is taking place that needs a response. The Belgian foreign minister will be a good mediator on these issues and I hope he will work together with the European Union's new high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, who was a member of PACE before becoming Italy's foreign minister. With regard more specifically to our assembly, I would point out that the status of “partner for democracy” which we have granted the Palestinian Authority and Morocco, for example, allows us to work closely with the national parliaments of these countries and that is of great benefit. Jordan has requested this status. Personally, I believe that we cannot leave them to their own devices under the massive pressure of the inflow of refugees.
With a certain distrust of Europe, of 28 not 47 members, increasing and sometimes containing hostility in some member states …
There has indeed been criticism and some of it relates directly to the Council of Europe. Last week, David Cameron argued for re-assessment of the powers of the European Court of Human Rights, if his party is returned to power after the May elections in the United Kingdom. Switzerland is planning a referendum on whether national laws should prevail over international treaties and, thus, over ECHR decisions. In the Chamber, a few have argued that dealing with issues such as doping in sport does not form part of our remit … Attempts to undermine are very real. The rule of law is declining in various countries and, more than ever, it is the role of the CoE to address it.