European liberals’ Congress discusses
relations between Russia and EU
Press Release
October 14, 2010
Today, on October 14, a congress by the European Liberal
Democrats party (ELDR) opened in Helsinki. YABLOKO is a full
member of ELDR.
A welcoming address to over 500 delegates of the Congress
was made by Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, ELDR President,
and Mari Kiviniemi, Prime Minister of Finland. In her speech
Mari Kiviniemi dwelled upon relations between Russia and Finland
stating that Russia was “the key economic partner for Finland”.
Prime Minister of Finland expressed her opinion that one of
the main problems for Russia at present was overcoming Russia’s
dependence on raw. Mari Kiviniemi also expressed her hope
that Russian-Finnish cooperation will be broadening in all
the spheres: economy, education and culture, humanitarian
exchanges and other.
Prime ministers and party leaders lunch took place before
the Congress opening. The meeting was attended by Annemie
Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP and ELDR President, Mari Kiviniemi,
Prime Minister of Finland and leader of the Keskusta party,
Stefan Wallin, Finland’s Minister of Culture and Sport and
leader of Svenska Folkpartiet, Irland’s Minister for European
Affairs Dick Roche, German Minister for European Affairs Werner
Hoyer, YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and others. In his
speech at the lunch Sergei Mitrokhin told about the situation
with the recent elections in Russia and also discussed a number
of YABLOKO’s foreign policy initiatives. European liberals
also asked about the reasons behind sudden dismissal of Mayor
of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov by the President of Russia. Mitrokhin
expressed his opinion that this was a punishment for Luzhkov’s
lack of political loyalty to President Medvedev.
Speaking about elections that took place in 77 Russia’s regions
on October 10, Mitrokhin stressed that in spite multiple refusals
by electoral commissions to register YABLOKO’s candidates
and high level of fraud, YABLOKO had several “local successful
campaigns” during these elections: YABLOKO obtained 18-20
per cent of votes in certain districts of the Pskov region
and Dagestan, 5 per cent in Sergiyev Posad, Moscow region,
and Tomsk, YABLOKO’s candidates running in single mandate
electoral districts also demonstrated good results. However,
YABLOKO had to confront unprecedented level of fraud and “black
PR” in the Chelyabinsk region.
Speaking about YABLOKO’s foreign policy initiatives Mitrokhin
noted that the European Union should develop a single strategy
towards Russia. Such a strategy should be targeted at integration,
not on confrontation, involving of the Russian society and
elite into the system of European democratic values and civil
society development. Abolishing of a visa regime between the
RF and the EU could become the first step in this direction.
YABLOKO’s leader also stressed that in 1995 when YABLOKO for
the first time proposed the initiative on a visa-free regime
between Russia and the EU all this seemed a fantasy, however,
at present Spain, Italy and Finland have been already speaking
of abolishing visas with Russia.
According to Mitrokhin, another initiative for a join work
of Russia and the EU could be transfer to direct elections
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Today
many Europeans, citizens of the countries that do not yet
have free and fair elections, are deprived of a direct link
to European institutions. Direct elections to the European
representative body can be decisive for these countries progress
towards modern democracy, restoration of public trust to elections
and restricting the power of bureaucracy.
Also YABLOKO’s leader noted that joint work on creation of
Russia-US-NATO anti-ballistic missile defence system can be
decisive for Russia’s involvement into the European system
of values. For Europe and the rest of the world this project
could mean greater security from nuclear threats, as well
as raising the efficiency of nuclear non-proliferation policy.
In conclusion Mitrokhin called European liberals to a joint
work in these projects which will bring more stability and
security to all the countries in Europe.
Sergei Mitrokhin's interview about the ELDR Congress to Vesti
24 (in Russian)
