Brussels, 26/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee recommends that the EU takes a more coherent attitude towards Russia to apply more effective influence. Approving the report by Dutch EDD MEP Bastiaan Belder, the Committee asserted that partnership with Russia should have a greater focus on common values and that the Council of the EU should not allow any exceptions to this. The MEPs' own initiative report provides their contribution to the EU's review of its strategy with regard to Russia, currently being assessed at the Commission and the Council (following the series of criticisms levelled at Silvio Berlusconi after the most recent EU-Russia Summit, see EUROPE of 8 November, p. 5). The new strategy will be presented to the European Council in March.
The MEPs are particularly unhappy with the series of uncoordinated statements by leading Member States politicians that made the negotiations over the Kaliningrad corridor particularly tense, along with the 'spectacular' comments about Chechnya made in Rome which completely contradict the EU's line. The lack of dialogue over Chechnya is unacceptable both morally and politically, complain the MEPs, calling for Moscow to allow humanitarian organisations to work in Chechnya. The MEPs want the Council to encourage the relaunch of dialogue between Moscow and Chechen representatives. The MEPs urge the Council not to accept Russia's refusal to accept the application of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to all the EU's new Member States, particularly Estonia and Latvia.
The Foreign Affairs Committee wants the EU's new strategy to aim at guaranteeing good neighbourly relations (though effective border control, better cooperation in the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration); promoting human rights, the rule of law, freedom of the press and extending civil society and transparency; cooperating to resolve the conflicts in the Southern Caucasus and to promote disarmament and non-proliferation; exploiting the existing trade potential; and supporting efforts to improve public health and social development in Russia.