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European Parliament/Chechnya: speech of Olivier Dupuis
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European parliament - Strasbourg, Sitting of Wednesday, 18 December 2002
Debate on the European Council (Copenhagen, 12-13 December 2002)
The work of the Danish presidency
Olivier Dupuis (NI-Radical). - Madam President, Mr Serving President of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, colleagues, I believe that the success of the Danish presidency is undeniable. Having said that, I hope that the Danish presidency, that Mr Rasmussen and Mr Haarder will forgive me if I dwell on two shady areas.
The first, as Mr Pasqua put it, concerns the "reunions". Unfortunately, these reunions are not complete, and I thank President Prodi for having announced an initiative regarding the five countries of the Balkans at the Salonika Summit. There are also the three countries of the Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is also Moldavia. There is also Israel. I hope that the European Union will take a firm initiative in this direction.
The second shady area, Chechnya, has already been mentioned by Mr Poettering and Mr Cohn-Bendit. I would like to thank the Danish presidency, and through it the relevant Danish authorities, for the stance it took during the Zakaiev affair. But the Zakaiev affair is not over. For the representatives of Chechnya and for the representatives of other oppressed peoples around the world, there is the problem of residence and free circulation within the European Union.
I would like to invite the Danish presidency to take an initiative in this direction. Commissioner Vitorino has pointed out that article 14, paragraph 3, which allowed the European Union to draw up blacklists in 1999 with regard to Kosovo, and which has just allowed it to draw up a blacklist with regard to the Belorussian authorities, also offers the possibility of creating white lists, that is lists of persons who should be allowed to reside and circulate freely throughout the territory of the European Union. This would make it possible to avoid unjustified and unjustifiable pressure, like the pressure put on your country by the Russian Federation over recent months.
I would therefore invite you, Mr Serving President of the Council, Mr Haarder, to see together with Mr Vitorino how, in the context of the Chechen question, to implement what is laid down by article 14, paragraph 3, of the treaty of the European Union.
Debate on the European Council (Copenhagen, 12-13 December 2002)
The work of the Danish presidency
Olivier Dupuis (NI-Radical). - Madam President, Mr Serving President of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, colleagues, I believe that the success of the Danish presidency is undeniable. Having said that, I hope that the Danish presidency, that Mr Rasmussen and Mr Haarder will forgive me if I dwell on two shady areas.
The first, as Mr Pasqua put it, concerns the "reunions". Unfortunately, these reunions are not complete, and I thank President Prodi for having announced an initiative regarding the five countries of the Balkans at the Salonika Summit. There are also the three countries of the Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is also Moldavia. There is also Israel. I hope that the European Union will take a firm initiative in this direction.
The second shady area, Chechnya, has already been mentioned by Mr Poettering and Mr Cohn-Bendit. I would like to thank the Danish presidency, and through it the relevant Danish authorities, for the stance it took during the Zakaiev affair. But the Zakaiev affair is not over. For the representatives of Chechnya and for the representatives of other oppressed peoples around the world, there is the problem of residence and free circulation within the European Union.
I would like to invite the Danish presidency to take an initiative in this direction. Commissioner Vitorino has pointed out that article 14, paragraph 3, which allowed the European Union to draw up blacklists in 1999 with regard to Kosovo, and which has just allowed it to draw up a blacklist with regard to the Belorussian authorities, also offers the possibility of creating white lists, that is lists of persons who should be allowed to reside and circulate freely throughout the territory of the European Union. This would make it possible to avoid unjustified and unjustifiable pressure, like the pressure put on your country by the Russian Federation over recent months.
I would therefore invite you, Mr Serving President of the Council, Mr Haarder, to see together with Mr Vitorino how, in the context of the Chechen question, to implement what is laid down by article 14, paragraph 3, of the treaty of the European Union.
