EU-Russia summit

The E.U.'s relations with Russia took centre stage in the Plenary session of the European Parliament last Wednesday and Thursday when MEPs debated and finally endorsed a resolution.

This says that Russia remains an important partner for Europe, especially in the energy sector, but that democratic values and human rights must remain core principles of the relationship.

The resolution comes ahead of an EU-Russia summit on Friday - a meeting some MEPs wanted cancelled amid the furore of the incident over the moving of a Soviet war monument by Estonia.

The EU-Russia summit, due to be held in the Russian city of Samara, could mark an important step in the renewal of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement between the two.

The existing one has been in place since 1997 and both sides are negotiating its renewal. In the resolution MEPs welcomed greater dialogue over energy issues, the easing of visa restrictions and expressed support for Russia's membership of the WTO. However, the resolution, which was backed by the European People's Party and European Democrats (EPP-ED), the Socialist PSE, the Union of Europe for the Nations (UEN) and the European United Left (GUE/NGL) was critical of Russia over its human rights record. In particular the use of force by the Russian authorities to quell protests in Moscow and St Petersburg, and restrictions on the media. There is no doubt that Russia is a great country in all senses. But now that it has achieved democracy it must not slide back.

Democracy can only make it stronger and the excesses committed after the dismantling of the Soviet state, the pillaging of state assets and runaway crime are not caused by democracy but by a breakdown of law and order, which could theoretically also occur in an authoritarian state.

Let there be a strong hand to impose the rule of law and combat crime. But Russia needs a strong democracy as well to help it exploit its vast human and natural resources.