European Parliament resolution on Chechnya
Date: 1999-11-18
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Russia, agreement (EU), civil war, government violence, human rights, humanitarian aid, military intervention, terrorism, war of independence

7.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 189/243

Thursday 18 November 1999

Calls on the Member States of the EU to implement strictly the existing legislation against female

9.
genital mutilation;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-

10.
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,

% having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Chechnya, and in particular its resolution

of 7 October 1999 (1),

% having regard to its assent of 30 November 1995 to the conclusion of an Agreement on Partnership
and Cooperation between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and
the Russian Federation, of the other part (2), and its assent of 11 June 1997 to the conclusion of the
Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their
Member States and the Russian Federation (3) and to the Common Strategy of the European Union on
Russia, adopted by the Council in June 1999,

% having regard to the fact-finding mission by the President-in-Office of the Council to Ingushetia on

30 October 1999,

% having regard to the statement by the Foreign Affairs Council of 15 November 1999 on the situation

in Chechnya,

% having regard to its decision to postpone the vote on the report on an agreement for scientific and

technological cooperation with Russia,

A.

B.

committed to strengthening the strategic partnership with Russia in terms of economic integration
and of cooperation while maintaining stability and security in Europe and beyond,

deeply concerned by the further escalation of the conflict in Chechnya, which followed the Dagestan
crisis, and in particular the repeated indiscriminate attacks against civilian targets,

C.

stressing the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation,

D.

E.

F.

G.

recalling the obligations of Russia in its Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU to
respect human rights and democratic values,

shocked about the humanitarian situation created by the ongoing military operations in Chechnya and
the disproportionate use of military force, which has resulted in ever-growing casualties among civi-
lians and in the displacement of 350 000 people, of whom almost 200 000 have found refuge in
Ingushetia,

noting that these refugees have to live in unbearable conditions without adequate shelter, food and
medical care and under continuously worsening sanitary conditions;

concerned about the fate of the remaining refugees in Chechnya and the repeated attempts 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,

Texts adopted at that sitting, Item 1.

(1)
(2) OJ C 339, 18.12.1995, p. 45.
(3) OJ C 200, 30.6.1997, p. 66.

C 189/244

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

7.7.2000

Thursday 18 November 1999

I.

J.

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 in
the Russian Federation,

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;

Calls for an immediate end to Russia’s military actions in Chechnya, and the launching of a construc-
1.
tive dialogue with legitimate Chechen representatives without any unrealistic preconditions; reiterates its
strong condemnation of the Russian military actions;

Condemns all terrorist acts inside and outside Chechnya and calls on the Russian authorities to do

2.
everything to find and sentence the perpetrators of these terrorist actions;

Calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to accept mediation by the European Union or

3.
any other international organisation acceptable to both sides;

Calls on the Russian authorities to immediately stop any further action directed against the civilian

4.
population in Chechnya;

5.
Calls on the Member States, the OSCE, the UN and international financial institutions to consider
further measures, and on the Commission and the Council to consider freezing all new contracts under
the Tacis programme for Russia, except the Tacis democracy line, if Russia does not stop its military
attacks against the civilian population and does not find the 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 by
the Russian authorities for a continuation of the conflict in Chechnya;

7.
Urges the Commission, the Council and the 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 access
to 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 and other NGOs with experience
in the region;

Invites ECHO to prepare for humanitarian aid activities in the region as soon as this becomes poss-

9.
ible and to link up with all other international donors and implementing NGOs;

Invites the OSCE summit in Istanbul to undertake an in-depth discussion of the situation in Chech-

10.
nya and to use all possible means to contribute to a rapid negotiated solution of the crisis;

11.
Calls on the Commission and the Council to propose to the OSCE that it take the necessary steps to
organise a Caucasus Stability Conference, which could serve as a stabilising factor in the region and as a
conflict solution and prevention forum, and invites all parties concerned to participate in this Conference;

12.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the OSCE, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Russian State Duma and the Federal Council and the autho-
rities in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.