Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12014 | 11 September 2009

Reconsideration on substantive grounds of previously ratified credentials of the Russian delegation (Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly)

Signatories: Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Remigijus AČAS, Lithuania, EDG ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Florin Serghei ANGHEL, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Sirpa ASKO-SELJAVAARA, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Lokman AYVA, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Zigmantas BALČYTIS, Lithuania ; Mr Walter BARTOŠ, Czech Republic ; Mr Alexander van der BELLEN, Austria ; Mr Ryszard BENDER, Poland, EDG ; Ms Olena BONDARENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Bożenna BUKIEWICZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingrida CIRCENE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Claire CURTIS-THOMAS, United Kingdom ; Ms Lena DĄBKOWSKA-CICHOCKA, Poland ; Mr Hubert DEITTERT, Germany ; Mr Tomasz DUDZIŃSKI, Poland, EDG ; Mr Frank FAHEY, Ireland, ALDE ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Attila GRUBER, Hungary ; Ms Olha HERASYM'YUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Adam HOFMAN, Poland, EDG ; Mr Joachim HÖRSTER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Stanisław HUSKOWSKI, Poland ; Mr Ivan Nikolaev IVANOV, Bulgaria ; Mr Bakir IZETBEGOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Stanisław KALEMBA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Włodzimierz KARPIŃSKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Jan KAŹMIERCZAK, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr András KELEMEN, Hungary ; Mr Franz Eduard KÜHNEL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Dalia KUODYTĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Pavel LEBEDA, Czech Republic, SOC ; Ms Anna LILLIEHÖÖK, Sweden ; Mr Göran LINDBLAD, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Dariusz LIPIŃSKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Sophie LØHDE, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Aleksei LOTMAN, Estonia, UEL ; Mr Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Denis MacSHANE, United Kingdom ; Ms Milica MARKOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SOC ; Ms Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Peter MITTERER, Austria ; Mr Philippe MONFILS, Belgium ; Ms Lilja MÓSESDÓTTIR, Iceland, UEL ; Ms Miroslava NĚMCOVÁ, Czech Republic ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary ; Mr Fritz NEUGEBAUER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Mirosława NYKIEL, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Tudor PANŢIRU, Romania, SOC ; Mr Jørgen POULSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Janusz RACHOŃ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Mailis REPS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Nicolae ROBU, Romania ; Ms Jadwiga ROTNICKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Luz Elena SANÍN, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Leander SCHÄDLER, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine ; Ms Maria STAVROSITU, Romania ; Ms Arūnė STIRBLYTĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Michał STULIGROSZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Tuulikki UKKOLA, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Piotr WACH, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Michał WOJTCZAK, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly, holding firmly to the founding ideals and principles of the Council of Europe as well as to the binding procedures set up by the Assembly to achieve a greater unity between its member states for the purpose of safeguarding and realising these ideals and principles, are seriously concerned about the persistent failure by the Russian Federation to honour its obligations and commitments imposed upon it by the Assembly Resolutions 1633 (2008) and 1647 (2009) and its lack of co-operation as defined in Rule 8.2.b of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

Aware of the potential consequences of such situation for the stability and peace in Europe, we call for a firmer response against a policy based on show of force and provocation. The risk of uncontrolled chain reactions and fears of the existence of a broader-reaching strategy than the one operated in the Caucasus are a grave threat to international security.

While the conflict in the Caucasus fully demonstrates the relevance of ever more extensive European construction, it is for the Council of Europe, a key player in that construction, to adopt a stance in line with its principles and values.

Russia has not only failed to fulfil the key demands of Resolutions 1633 and 1647 adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly, it has undertaken steps that further depart from their implementation. Specifically:

1. contrary to the requirements of paragraphs 9 and 22.2 of Resolution 1633 and paragraphs 4 and 9.3 of Resolution 1647, not only has Russia refused to withdraw its unilateral recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but it has established military, legal and diplomatic links with de facto regimes;

2. in violation of paragraph 22.1 of Resolution 1633 and paragraphs 9.4 and 9.5 of Resolution 1647, Russia remains in blatant breach of the European Union-brokered cease-fire agreement. It has not withdrawn to ex ante war positions and continues to occupy the Akhalgori District, Upper Abkhazia and the Georgian enclave around Tskhinvali previously controlled by the Georgian Government. Furthermore, Russia has significantly increased its military presence in the occupied territories and declared intention to construct three military bases, including naval and air force. Incidents by Russian military warplanes and helicopters violating the Georgian air space have increased since;

3. Russia continues to deny OSCE and European Union monitors access to the occupied territories, as requested in paragraph 22.2 of Resolution 1633 and paragraph 9.8 of Resolution 1647. Even more, on 10 February and 21 April, South Ossetian militia allied to the Russian occupying forces briefly detained OSCE military observers;

4. in violation of paragraph 22.4 of Resolution 1633 and paragraph 11.4 of Resolution 1647 Russia has not undertaken any measures towards the establishment of a new peacekeeping format and internationalisation of the peacekeeping force;

5. notwithstanding the incident prevention mechanism reached at the Geneva talks, Russia, in contradiction with paragraph 22.5 of Resolution 1633, has continuously failed to put it into action. In addition, Russia has failed to bring to an immediate halt the provocations and attacks from the South Ossetian and Abkhaz sides of the administrative border as requested in paragraph 9.10 of Resolution 1647. The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) has continuously been condemning roadside bomb and other provocations and incidents which have resulted in bringing the number of Georgian police casualties since 12 August 2008 to 12;

6. paragraphs 9.9 and 9.11 of Resolution 1647 request Russia to ensure bringing ethnic cleansing of persons of Georgian ethnicity to a halt and reversal of their results. Instead, Russia has tolerated and supported forced “passportisation” of ethnic Georgians in Akhalgori and Gali districts as well as restrictions on their education rights;

7. as stated by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, the restrictions on the right of return of IDPs from the areas under control of the de facto South Ossetian leadership is in contradiction to the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Instead of use of the international tools for peaceful conflict resolution and to implement the interim measures ordered by the ECHR, Russia, in violation of paragraph 22.10 of resolution 1633, refused the competence of the International Court of Justice over the alleged human rights violations.

In the light of the above, the undersigned demand the Assembly to reconsider – on the basis of Rule 9.1.a. of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly – the ratified credentials of the Russian delegation on substantive grounds.