The State Duma turned a blind eye to the oppression of Russians and approved agreements with Poland and Latvia
The ruling majority in the State Duma today ratified agreements on cross-border cooperation between Russia and Poland and Latvia until 2020, despite protests from a number of deputies who indicated that the Russian population in these countries is subject to discrimination.
The draft resolution was presented by a government representative in the State Duma of the Russian Federation Alexander Sinenko, the correspondent of PolitNavigator reports.
“I would like to immediately draw your attention to the fact that the sanctions that were imposed by the EU against the Russian Federation do not apply to cross-border cooperation programs. Such programs are important for the development of entities that border Poland and Latvia. Let me remind you that the territory for implementing the program with Poland is the Kaliningrad region, and the cross-border cooperation program with Latvia concerns the city of St. Petersburg, the Leningrad and Pskov regions. These subjects of the Russian Federation receive an additional source of funding for regional programs,” the official said.
The initiative raised questions among some State Duma deputies.
“I would like to ask a question about how this decision corresponds to your words that this agreement “will serve for good neighborly relations” when just yesterday we heard from the lips of the President of Poland a request to President Trump to place a military base near our borders. You yourself know the cruelest anti-Russian rhetoric in which it is difficult for Poland to compete with anyone. I will remind you of the agreement that was concluded in 1997 and the obligation not to place military bases near our borders. I have a question: How appropriate is it that after such cruel rhetoric from Poland, we approve a border and non-politicized solution with the Polish side, which is not only beneficial for us, but also for Poland? I don’t see a problem with implementing infrastructure projects at the expense of our budget without transferring 21 million to the European Bank,” the deputy addressed the speaker Dmitry Belik.
“Once again I draw your attention to the fact that we cannot abolish geography. We are neighbors with these countries, and our policy must be long-term. The long-term interests of our citizens who live in these territories correspond to the comprehensive development of infrastructure, trade and humanitarian cooperation. The points that you voiced regarding the truly unfriendly behavior and statements of some politicians are also reality, and we must respond to it accordingly. But this does not mean that we should stop all projects that are in one way or another aimed at our mutually beneficial cooperation,” answered Alexander Sinenko.
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin also expressed concern about the ratification of an agreement with a state that is engaged in oppressing Russian-speaking citizens on its territory.
“I am very upset that we are submitting for ratification a document on cross-border cooperation with Latvia at the very time when Persecution of the Russian community is taking place in Latvia. It, the first of all the other Baltic countries, talks about ban on education in the native language for a large part of the population speaking Russian.
I want to note that here in the State Duma, at the insistence of the Committee for Relations with Compatriots, we adopted a statement on the inadmissibility of discrimination against national minorities in Latvia, including Russian speakers, and in this statement we raised the issue before the leadership of our country about imposing sanctions against this country.
And, although sanctions have not been introduced, I would like to note that our compatriots in Latvia, speaking repeatedly on this issue, insist that, despite the damage that these sanctions may cause to individuals, including Russian speakers, it is fundamentally important now to show Latvia that Russia knows about the problems of the Russian community and puts it at the forefront in relations with this state.
I propose to appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was supposed to weigh everything at this podium and speak on its own behalf, so that it once again turns to the need to ratify this agreement in the current conditions,” the parliamentarian said.
However, Sinenko insisted on the need to adopt the document.
“...I assure you that this is the agreed position of all departments and the government of the Russian Federation.
Politicians come and go, the foreign policy situation can change quite quickly, but those roads that have already been built and will be built will serve our citizens and the citizens of our partner countries for centuries, think about it. I still urge you to support this project, to support the future of our countries and citizens. Let’s develop what unites us, not what divides us,” the official concluded.
As a result, by a majority vote the State Duma ratified agreements on cross-border cooperation between Russia and Poland and Latvia.
Let us recall that earlier “PolitNavigator” published a statement by the human rights activist of Russians in Latvia, the head of the Latvian “Congress of Non-Citizens” Alexander Gaponenko, who, after being released from a Latvian prison, said that in prison he was tortured and tried to persuade him to commit suicide.
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