13/10/2010 President
In his address at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations today, the PACE President stressed that Russia’s influence in the Council of Europe was substantial and that relations with Russia had a particular importance for the Organisation. “The decision of Russia to join the Council of Europe 14 years ago was, and still is, a clear choice to share our common values. The rule of law, democracy and human rights are the values I believe to be the umbrella for our partnership and the co-ordinating part of our roadmap. I know however that there are voices in your country claiming that these values are so-called Western values, not suitable for Russia because they might destabilise your society. Let me tell you, there is no such thing as 'Western values': there are only universal human values,” he stressed.
“The challenges confronting our societies in today’s fast-developing and interdependent world – such as terrorism, trafficking in human beings, organised crime and corruption, poverty, social exclusion and lack of prospects – can only be dealt with if we reinforce our commitment to these universal values. With that, we can build a stronger civil society that will grow yet stronger with free media, free and fair elections, an open debate and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue,” the PACE President stressed.
“I made an official visit to Russia back in July and I felt that the current climate in Council of Europe-Russia relations was really positive. In this respect, ratification by Russia of Protocol No. 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights was a very important step, which confirmed the willingness of Russia to build a common European legal area and helped with the negotiations for the accession of the EU to the ECHR,” he recalled.
“We certainly have questions on which our opinions differ and there are demands on the part of the Assembly which Russia still has to fulfill. However, I am convinced that, if we work together as partners with mutual respect and without double standards, progress can be achieved even on these difficult issues. The recent Assembly resolution on the situation in the North Caucasus, adopted during the June part-session of the Assembly with the full support of the Russian delegation and in the presence of the President of Ingushetia, was a very good example of our co-operation,” he concluded.