French President Emmanuel Macron fully supports the continuation of the work of the Russian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This was stated by the head of the French state during a speech at the assembly session.
“I fully support the choice that was made - to preserve (participation. - RT ) Russia in the Council of Europe, because the Russian people recognize European humanism, because they participated in its creation, because Russia's geography, history and culture are basically European, ”RIA Novosti quoted Macron as saying.
According to the French president, the assembly made a “sovereign choice” to re-accept the Russian delegation. According to Macron, if PACE took a different decision, Russia could ultimately leave the Council of Europe altogether.
On Monday, September 30, the autumn session in PACE began in Strasbourg, it will last until October 4. At the end of June, the assembly adopted a resolution according to which the powers of the Russian delegation to PACE were restored in full.
Recall that in 2014 the Russian delegation to PACE was severely limited in their rights, depriving, inter alia, of their voting rights. This was done in connection with the events in Ukraine and the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation. Since 2016, Russia has ceased its participation in the meetings, as well as reduced contributions to the budget of the body.
Commenting on Macron’s speech, Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, noted that the French president had designated Russia and its people as Europe.
“For many centuries, Russia, together with other countries, participated in the development of European history. Everyone knows this well, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.
The opinion of Macron, continued Shapovalov, is of great importance, since France is one of the key countries in Europe and international organizations, including the Council of Europe, are listening to the opinion of the French president.
“This Macron’s complementary statement regarding Russia is, quite obviously, a powerful signal that the collective Europe is reconsidering its position on Russia. This is a process aimed at resuming a wide-format dialogue with Russia, ”the expert is sure.
According to Shapovalov, attitudes towards Russia are changing, among other things, because Europe recognizes the importance of economic, political and cultural partnership with Moscow.
In turn, Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior fellow at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, suggested that Macron claims to be a leader in the European Union. According to the expert, the French president wants to be the leader who unites Europe.
“He has his own EU reform program, he periodically details it. He believes that Russia is one of the main trade and economic partners of the EU, ”says the expert.
- French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at PACE fall session
- Reuters
- © Vincent Kessler
According to Olenchenko, another factor in which the French president advocates dialogue with Russia may be a desire to resist US pressure on European countries.
“Another group of motives is related to the fact that Europe is under pressure from the United States, which are trying to dictate their ideas and development opportunities. Macron believes that the alliance between Russia and France is capable of counteracting American pressure, ”the expert suggested.
It should be noted that in August a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Macron took place, during which the French leader announced the end of the hegemony of the West and called for a dialogue with Moscow.
Ukraine and the “Russian opposition” group
Meanwhile, it became known that representatives of Ukraine intend to form a group in Baltic Parliamentary Assembly under the name Baltic Plus, the purpose of which the organizers call the counteraction of Russia. This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, Elizaveta Yasko.
According to her, the union will include Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Georgia. Yasko clarified that the task of the participants will be to "continue the policy of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea" and condemn the "occupation" of the peninsula.
Yasko also assigned parts of Eastern Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to the “occupied by Russia” territories. However, the diplomat didn’t specify which territories they are talking about.
She noted that everyone can join the Baltic Plus group for whom “European values and fulfillment of obligations are not empty words”.
An official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, drew attention to the wording chosen by Yasko. She commented on the statement of the Ukrainian side on her Facebook page.
“What a fine fellow: join in groups to continue Russian politics - a policy of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea! How can one recognize that which was not? There was no annexation, therefore, it is impossible to recognize it. It’s great that the non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea was realized by the delegations of Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Georgia, ”she wrote.
The new delegation of Ukraine to PACE refused to participate in the current session, but intends to continue consultations with partners. Representatives of Kiev in an international organization said that in this way they react to the return of Russia to PACE.
“The above (refusal to participate in meetings. - RT ) will be a way of Ukraine’s response to the return of the Russian Federation to the PACE session hall without fulfilling the requirements of the Assembly’s resolutions approved in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the statement said on the pages of Elizaveta Yasko .
Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior fellow at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, noted that the countries that made up Baltic Plus are on the periphery of European politics and economics.
“Of course, their desire to oppose themselves sounds incomprehensible,” the expert said in an interview with RT. “It would be better for everyone - including Europe - if they went about their economic affairs.”
In turn, Vladimir Shapovalov noted that we are talking about countries that have recently joined the CE and occupy a pronounced anti-Russian position, “selling” Russophobia as the main political asset.
He drew attention to the fact that information about the formation of the “Russian opposition” group and Macron’s words about the significance of the presence of the Russian delegation appeared almost simultaneously.
“This shows how serious the value differences between the countries of old and new Europe are, which position themselves as democracies, but do not accept a different point of view,” the expert concluded.