TALLINN - Baltic parliamentarians in Brussels have stepped up lobbying efforts in recent weeks to seek approval of a declaration that calls attention to the consequences of Eastern Europe's post-war Soviet occupation.
According to reports, the European Parliament is set to approve the declaration by May 4 at the latest 's just days before the international elite will gather in Moscow to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
As the document states: "Hitler and Stalin opposed the democratic aspirations of European nations and their collusion created a basis for the split in Europe for decades to come." The document also calls attention to the consequences of the 1945 Yalta conference of U.S., British and Soviet leaders and the sufferings of victims under the communist regime.
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Elmar Brok, from the European People's Party faction submitted the draft declaration to the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Estonian MEPs Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a European socialist, and Tunne Kelam of the European People's Party faction have actively been seeking support for the declaration.
"The basic thing is that it must deal with the Yalta conference, the injustice done in Europe after the end of the second World War, and communist crimes," Ilves, a Social Democrat, told the Eesti Paevaleht daily.
According to the document, only full awareness of the Yalta treaty's history and its consequences will strengthen the united Europe, democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and relations between Europe and Russia, while possibly inspiring Russia to evaluate its history.
The document explicitly cites the annexation of the Baltics.
In Kelam's words, there is no opposition to the declaration in Europarliament. "There are those who believe out of habit that Russia should not be rubbed the wrong way. But these times are past, and the Ukrainian elections at the end of last year clearly showed that it was mainly representatives of Poland and the Baltic states who changed the direction of the European Parliament."
Last November some 100 MEPs signed an appeal declaring that the May 9 celebrations in Moscow would divert attention from historical injustice caused by the totalitarian Soviet regime. "In the context of true history, the high-level event planned to take place in Moscow on May 9, 2005 marks not the end of World War II, but rather countenancing of crimes committed by Soviet occupations and totalitarian Communism," read the appeal.
World War II started after the totalitarian Soviet Union had concluded several agreements with Nazi Germany, the document notes. The Soviet Union actively helped Nazi Germany conquer most of free Europe, supplying the German armed forces and military industry with fuel, food, and other strategic raw materials.
In the meantime, the incessant verbal battle between Baltic and Russian politicians continued over the past week, in places such as Strasbourg, Riga and Parnu.
In Strasbourg, Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, blasted Russia for restricting the freedom of press. As rapporteur of PACE's political committee, Mihkelson referred to obstructing journalists' work in Chechnya: "Of member countries in the Council of Europe the situation is the worst for Russia, the most dangerous country for journalists after Iraq and Algeria." Fourteen journalists have been killed in Russia over the past five years and none of these cases has ever come to court.
In Riga, former Foreign Minister Ilves said that by regularly leveling accusations against Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Russia was attempting to reduce Baltic influence in the EU. Speaking at a conference in Riga called "The Hitler-Stalin Pact Today: Legal Consequences and Responsibility," Ilves said that Russia was ignoring, changing and forgetting history to pursue political goals and that what's worse, it is succeeding.
"History today is used to create the enemy," he said.
2 Staff and wire reports, TALLINN
Baltic parliamentarians in Brussels have stepped up lobbying efforts in recent weeks to seek approval of a declaration that calls attention to the consequences of Eastern Europe's post-war Soviet occupation.
According to reports, the European Parliament is set to approve the declaration by May 4 at the latest 's just days before the international elite will gather in Moscow to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
As the document states: "Hitler and Stalin opposed the democratic aspirations of European nations and their collusion created a basis for the split in Europe for decades to come." The document also calls attention to the consequences of the 1945 Yalta conference of U.S., British and Soviet leaders and the sufferings of victims under the communist regime.
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Elmar Brok, from the European People's Party faction submitted the draft declaration to the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Estonian MEPs Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a European socialist, and Tunne Kelam of the European People's Party faction have actively been seeking support for the declaration.
"The basic thing is that it must deal with the Yalta conference, the injustice done in Europe after the end of the second World War, and communist crimes," Ilves, a Social Democrat, told the Eesti Paevaleht daily.
According to the document, only full awareness of the Yalta treaty's history and its consequences will strengthen the united Europe, democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and relations between Europe and Russia, while possibly inspiring Russia to evaluate its history.
The document explicitly cites the annexation of the Baltics.
In Kelam's words, there is no opposition to the declaration in Europarliament. "There are those who believe out of habit that Russia should not be rubbed the wrong way. But these times are past, and the Ukrainian elections at the end of last year clearly showed that it was mainly representatives of Poland and the Baltic states who changed the direction of the European Parliament."
Last November some 100 MEPs signed an appeal declaring that the May 9 celebrations in Moscow would divert attention from historical injustice caused by the totalitarian Soviet regime. "In the context of true history, the high-level event planned to take place in Moscow on May 9, 2005 marks not the end of World War II, but rather countenancing of crimes committed by Soviet occupations and totalitarian Communism," read the appeal.
World War II started after the totalitarian Soviet Union had concluded several agreements with Nazi Germany, the document notes. The Soviet Union actively helped Nazi Germany conquer most of free Europe, supplying the German armed forces and military industry with fuel, food, and other strategic raw materials.
In the meantime, the incessant verbal battle between Baltic and Russian politicians continued over the past week, in places such as Strasbourg, Riga and Parnu.
In Strasbourg, Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, blasted Russia for restricting the freedom of press. As rapporteur of PACE's political committee, Mihkelson referred to obstructing journalists' work in Chechnya: "Of member countries in the Council of Europe the situation is the worst for Russia, the most dangerous country for journalists after Iraq and Algeria." Fourteen journalists have been killed in Russia over the past five years and none of these cases has ever come to court.
In Riga, former Foreign Minister Ilves said that by regularly leveling accusations against Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Russia was attempting to reduce Baltic influence in the EU. Speaking at a conference in Riga called "The Hitler-Stalin Pact Today: Legal Consequences and Responsibility," Ilves said that Russia was ignoring, changing and forgetting history to pursue political goals and that what's worse, it is succeeding.
"History today is used to create the enemy," he said.
The MEP added that Russia, once it recognizes that the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was wrong and caused evil, would also have to recognize the consequences of the occupation. "Hence, the protection of minorities in the Baltic states will become senseless."
Ilves believes Russia is attempting to create the impression that the Baltic states and Poland are unreliable and psychologically unstable partners, incapable of contributing anything good to the EU. "Russia's goal is to lessen our influence in decision making in the EU," he said.
"These attempts are successful," he said.
As an example, Ilves cited a meeting between the leaders of three EU member states 's France, Germany and Spain 's with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing problems in relations between Russia and the Baltic states. "After the meeting one of the diplomats inquired about its essence, and he was told to look it up on the homepage," said Ilves. "Such an attitude hurts very much and shows that Russia's attempts to lessen influence are successful."
Ilves believes Russia is attempting to create the impression that the Baltic states and Poland are unreliable and psychologically unstable partners, incapable of contributing anything good to the EU. "Russia's goal is to lessen our influence in decision making in the EU," he said.
"These attempts are successful," he said.
As an example, Ilves cited a meeting between the leaders of three EU member states 's France, Germany and Spain 's with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing problems in relations between Russia and the Baltic states. "After the meeting one of the diplomats inquired about its essence, and he was told to look it up on the homepage," said Ilves. "Such an attitude hurts very much and shows that Russia's attempts to lessen influence are successful."
