Doc. 9244

8 October 2001

Definition of the Baltic states as a 'zone of conflict' under Russian law

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Landsbergis and others

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

Legislation of the Russian Federation includes a law on additional guarantees and compensations for military personnel serving on the territories of Transcaucasian states, Baltic states and the Republic of Tadjikistan, of 21 January 1993, with provisions about 'fulfilling tasks in defending the constitutional rights of citizens' in possible 'armed conflicts', which means action of the Russian military there. The statement of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation (of the same date) gives authorisation to the Russian Government to state 'in each concrete case' about 'the zones of armed conflicts and the time of fulfilling tasks in defending the constitutional rights of citizens'.

Two years later, a new law of 5 May 1995 amended the previous one by charging the Government to define 'the zone of armed conflict in the Chechen Republic'. The law of 29 October 1997 (signed by President Boris Yeltsin on 19 November 1997) once again amended the basic law on compensations and speaks about 'Chechen Republic and directly related territories of the Northern Caucasus'.

In the texts of this legislation, the Baltic states remain defined as a possible 'zone of armed conflict' being not deleted from the amended versions of the law. Such a situation cannot be considered as building confidence in relations between Russia and the Baltic states.

In addition to this strange legislation, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin recently threatened the Republic of Latvia with a possible armed action within Latvia (we could 'but we are not sending arms there' - INTERFAX, 16 June 2001). Both facts encourage the Assembly to recommend:

1.       that the State Duma of the Russian Federation amend the law on additional guarantees and compensations for military personnel by deleting at least the words 'Baltic states';

2.       that all member countries of the Council of Europe stop threatening other member countries with even allusions (if not suggestions) to a possible arrangement of armed clashes on their territory.

Signed : ¹

Landsbergis, Lithuania, EDG

Akgönenç, Turkey, EDG

Aliyev G, Azerbaijan, EDG

Čekuolis, Lithuania, LDR

Cerrahoğlu, Turkey, EDG

Dobelis, Latvia, EDG

Ilaşcu, Romania, EDG

Ionescu, Romania, EDG

Kalkan, Turkey, EDG

Kutraitė Giedraitienė, Lithuania, LDR

Malgieri, Italy, EDG

Paegle, Latvia, EPP/CD

Patarkalishvili, Georgia, EPP/CD

Telek, Turkey, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group