Thursday, 9 February 2012The third largest faction in the European Parliament has called for a freeze on contacts with the Russian State Duma until Russia holds "free and fair parliamentary elections."
The proposal, from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), comes as former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, co-chair of the unregistered People's Freedom Party, is in Brussels to discuss the upcoming presidential election in Russia, ALDE said in a press release.
"Russia must respect the commitments made to the Council of Europe and OSCE," Kristiina Ojuland, Estonia's former Foreign Minister and the ALDE spokesperson on Russia, is quoted in the press release as saying. "Since this call appears to have fallen on deaf ears, we must take a bold step forward and increase pressure on Russia to comply," she said.
"The European Parliament adopted a resolution last December clearly demanding that new elections are held in Russia," Ojuland said in the press release.
At the time, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the resolution, saying it "does not mean anything" to him because "it is our election and the European Parliament has nothing to do with it." The State Duma said the European Parliament resolution was "interference in Russia’s affairs." |
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Ria Novosti
|
|
