Date:01/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/01/stories/2006020102251700.htm

International

New rift in Russia, Europe relations

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: A new rift has opened in relations between Russia and Europe after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution denouncing communist crimes.

In a resolution passed last week European parliamentarians "strongly condemned the massive human rights violations," such as executions, deaths in concentration camps, torture, slave labour, and starvation committed by Communist regimes, and put an equation mark between Nazism and Communism.

The resolution has provoked a hail of protests in Russia, where it was seen as a hostile move. "The resolution has no relation to Communism. In contrast to radical Islamism and fascism, Communism does not pose any threat to the world," said Kremlin-linked political scientist Sergei Markov. "This is a case of pure Russophobia."

The initial draft contained direct reference to the Soviet Union, which was struck down in the final text after strong protests from the Russian delegation. However, the resolution still carries an anti-Russian thrust, according to many politicians and analysts.

"The real target is Russia as successor to the Soviet Union, the next step would be to condemn the Soviet Union and question the legitimacy of international accords it signed, including the U.N. Charter," said Prof. Natalya Narochnitskaya, member of the Russian State Duma Parliament.