In the European Parliament (EP) decided not to consider Russia as a strategic partner
CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2019 – Source: EP / Flickr
For the resolution voted by 402 deputies, against – 163 and 89 abstained
European Parliament / Facebook
In the European Parliament (EP) decided not to consider Russia as a strategic partner, the official website of the European Parliament “On the political relations between the European Union and Russia.” The broadcast of the meeting plenary sessions are in Strasbourg on the website of the EP.
For the resolution voted by 402 deputies, against – 163 and 89 abstained.
European parliamentarians, whose term of office expires at the may election, urged the EU “to critical and comprehensive reassessment of its relations with Russia”, reports “Interfax”.
Its decision, the European Parliament explained, “the current circumstances”. He also adopted an amendment to the report on the political relationship with Russia, which expressed the hope that Russia will come from the Council of Europe, reports TASS.
The European Parliament has decided to revise the Agreement on partnership and cooperation with Russia. “The principles set out in article 2 of the Agreement on partnership and cooperation (PCA) is no longer met, therefore SPS should be reviewed”, – the document says. In article 2 we are talking about the need to respect democratic principles and human rights in the spirit of the Helsinki act of 1975 and the Charter of Paris for a new Europe 1990.
The PCA was signed in 1998. In 2007, negotiations began on a new agreement since then economic relations between Russia and the European Union, according to Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov, “have outgrown this document”.
These negotiations four times suspended at the initiative of the European Union in 2008 because of the crisis, with the Russian ban of supplies to its market contaminated Polish meat, the second time – in 2008, after the Russia operation “to force Georgia to peace” in South Ossetia. Six months later they actually stalled until Russia’s accession to the WTO. The last time they were suspended, the EU in 2014 after joining the Crimea to Russia. Consequently, the current PCA has been working for 30 years.
In the EP stressed that the internal and external policy of the Russian state contrary to the purposes and basic values of the European Union. In particular, we are talking about “the actions of Russia against Ukraine, starting in 2014”.
In the European Parliament stressed that “the EU’s relations with Russia should be based on the principles of international law, respect for human rights, democracy and the peaceful settlement of conflicts, however, at present, resulting from the neglect of the principles of the EU’s relations with Russia based on cooperation in specific areas of common interest.”
The document stresses that “the EU remains open to a stronger relationship and lead them to dialogue.” “The EU wants to resume cooperative relations with Russia as soon as Russian authorities begin to comply with its international and legal obligations and demonstrate a genuine aspiration of Russia to restore the broken trust. Constructive and predictable relations will be mutually beneficial, and ideally, they will meet the interests of both parties,” – said the European Parliament.
Moreover, “a new division of the continent threatens the security of both the EU and Russia”.
“Demonstration of Russia’s commitment to a multilateral order based on established rules, and support will create conditions for closer relations with EU”, – said in Strasbourg. The European Parliament “stresses the importance of cooperation between the EU and Russia in the framework of an international order based on rules and positive position in international and multilateral organizations, which include Russia, in particular in the framework of the OSCE”. “This should be done in relation to controversial issues and crisis situations”, – stated in the document.
The European Parliament believes that “any framework for relations between the EU and Russia must be based on full respect for international law, the Helsinki principles of the OSCE, democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, and include dialogue on the management of global challenges, strengthened global governance and ensure compliance with international standards, to provide a European regime of peace and security in the neighbouring countries of the EU and the Western Balkans”.
“Global challenges that relate to climate change, environment, energy security, digital technology, algorithms, decision making, artificial intelligence, foreign policy and security issues, counter proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, fight against terrorism and organized crime, protection of the environment in the Arctic all require selective cooperation with Russia”, – assured in the EP. There are considered “important to reduce existing tensions and to start consultations with Russia, to reduce the risk of misunderstanding, misinterpretation and distortion of facts.”
The European Parliament “recommends that the focus [in collaboration with Russia] on issues relating to the Middle East and North Africa, North Europe and the Arctic region, fighting against terrorism, violent extremism, proliferation of nuclear weapons, implementation of arms control, strategic stability in cyberspace, the fight against organized crime, illegal migration and climate change”.
Cooperation should include joint efforts to preserve the UN security Council approved a Joint comprehensive plan of action against Iran. The parties also need to end the war in Syria, I believe in the EP.
The document notes the importance of contacts between citizens of the EU and Russia, particularly through education and culture. Progress in the implementation of cross-border cooperation programmes between the EU and Russia, as well as “constructive cooperation within the partnership of the Northern dimension and the Barents Euro-Arctic region, which bring tangible benefits to the citizens of the border areas and contribute to the sustainable development of these areas.”
At the same time, the extensive report of the European Parliament contains dozens of paragraphs of criticism of Russia on issues of human rights, the Ukrainian conflict, and the Crimea. It contained allegations of Russian interference in the internal Affairs of the EU and “strengthen espionage activities” in Europe, “money laundering”, “financing of political parties that oppose the European Union”, himatake in Salisbury and poisoning Skrobala. The European Parliament requires the renewal of EU sanctions until Minsk agreement and “will not restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine”. MPs are also concerned that the Kremlin supports authoritarian regimes around the world – in Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran.