9. Calls on the Member States of the EU to implement strictly the existing legislation against female
genital mutilation;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-
ments of the Member States.
15. Situation in Chechnya
B5-0259, 0260, 0261, 0262 and 0263/1999
European Parliament resolution on Chechnya
The European Parliament,
Fdash having regardto its previous resolutions on the situation in Chechnya, andin particular its resolution
of 7 October 1999(1),
Fdash having regardto its assent of 30 November 1995 to the conclusion of an Agreement on Partnership
andCooperation between the European Communities andtheir Member States, of the one part, andthe Russian Federation, of the other part(
2), andits assent of 11 June 1997 to the conclusion of the
Protocol to the Partnership andCooperation Agreement between the European Communities andtheirMember States andthe Russian Fed eration(
3) andto the Common Strategy of the European Union on
Russia, adopted by the Council in June 1999,
Fdash having regard to the fact-finding mission by the President-in-Office of the Council to Ingushetia on
30 October 1999,
Fdash having regardto the statement by the Foreign Affairs Council of 15 November 1999 on the situation
in Chechnya,
Fdash having regardto its d ecision to postpone the vote on the report on an agreement for scientific and
technological cooperation with Russia,
A. committedto strengthening the strategic partnership with Russia in terms of economic integration
andof cooperation while maintaining stability andsecurity in Europe andbeyond ,
B. deeply concerned by the further escalation of the conflict in Chechnya, which followed the Dagestan
crisis, andin particular the repeatedind iscriminate attacks against civilian targets,
C. stressing the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation,
D. recalling the obligations of Russia in its Partnership andCooperation Agreement with the EU to
respect human rights andd emocratic values,
E. shockedabout the humanitarian situation createdby the ongoing military operations in Chechnya and
the disproportionate use of military force, which has resulted in ever-growing casualties among civi-lians andin the d isplacement of 350 000 people, of whom almost 200 000 have foundrefuge inIngushetia,
F. noting that these refugees have to live in unbearable conditions without adequate shelter, food and
medical care and under continuously worsening sanitary conditions;
G. concernedabout the fate of the remaining refugees in Chechnya andthe repeatedattempts of the
Russian authorities to block them at the Chechen border,
H. welcoming the huge efforts Chechnya’s neighbours are undertaking to shelter the refugees,
(1) Texts adopted at that sitting, Item 1.
(2) OJ C 339, 18.12.1995, p. 45.
(3) OJ C 200, 30.6.1997, p. 66.7.7.2000 EN C 189/243 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 18 November 1999
I. aware that the war in Chechnya is not only contributing to further destabilisation in the North-Cau-
casus Region, but is also seriously endangering democracy, the rule of law and economic reforms inthe Russian Federation,
J. noting that the Russian state Duma has adopted in its first reading the new budget containing an
increase in the budget for the Russian army of US$ 1 billion, specifically earmarked for the conflict
in Chechnya;
1. Calls for an immediate end to Russia’s military actions in Chechnya, and the launching of a construc-
tive dialogue with legitimate Chechen representatives without any unrealistic preconditions; reiterates itsstrong condemnation of the Russian military actions;
2. Condemns all terrorist acts inside and outside Chechnya and calls on the Russian authorities to do
everything to findandsentence the perpetrators of these terrorist actions;
3. Calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to accept mediation by the European Union or
any other international organisation acceptable to both sides;
4. Calls on the Russian authorities to immediately stop any further action directed against the civilian
population in Chechnya;
5. Calls on the Member States, the OSCE, the UN andinternational financial institutions to consid er
further measures, and on the Commission and the Council to consider freezing all new contracts underthe Tacis programme for Russia, except the Tacis democracy line, if Russia does not stop its militaryattacks against the civilian population andd oes not findthe way to the negotiating table;
6. Calls on the Russian Government as well as all donors and international financial institutions to
guarantee the highest degree of transparency, in order to ensure that none of these funds will be used bythe Russian authorities for a continuation of the conflict in Chechnya;
7. Urges the Commission, the Council andthe Member States to make the necessary humanitarian aid
available for the suffering population in Chechnya as well as for the refugees in neighbouring Republics;in this context calls on the Russian authorities to grant international humanitarian organisations full accessto the region;
8. Emphasises the readiness of the EU to offer significant amounts of humanitarian assistance to the
region through international organisations such as the UNHCR, the ICRC andother NGOs with experiencein the region;
9. Invites ECHO to prepare for humanitarian aidactivities in the region as soon as this becomes poss-
ible andto link up with all other international d onors andimplementing NGOs;
10. Invites the OSCE summit in Istanbul to undertake an in-depth discussion of the situation in Chech-
nya andto use all possible means to contribute to a rapidnegotiatedsolution of the crisis;
11. Calls on the Commission andthe Council to propose to the OSCE that it take the necessary steps to
organise a Caucasus Stability Conference, which couldserve as a stabilising factor in the region andas a
conflict solution andprevention forum, andinvites all parties concernedto participate in this Conference;
12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the OSCE, the
Secretary-General of the UnitedNations, the Russian State Duma andthe Fed eral Council andthe autho-rities in Chechnya, Dagestan andIngushetia.C 189/244 EN 7.7.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 18 November 1999