J-10
02-22-2005, 03:53 AM
Bush Raps Russia on Democracy, Rule of Law
Mon Feb 21, 6:22 PM ET
By Paul Taylor
BRUSSELS (*******) - President Bush took his strongest jab so far at the state of democracy and the rule of law in Russia on Monday, three days before he is due to meet President Vladimir Putin.
In a speech appealing for European support for his global campaign for democracy, Bush referred to widespread concerns that Putin has chosen an increasingly authoritarian path.
"For Russia to make progress as a European nation, the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law," he told an audience in Brussels, headquarters of the 25-nation European Union and the NATO alliance.
The United States and European countries should "place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue" with Moscow.
Bush said Washington backed Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization -- this year if possible -- because meeting the Geneva-based body's standards would "strengthen the gains of freedom and prosperity in that country."
But he later told reporters that WTO membership required a liberal economy and open markets, which "tend to track countries that are open to the voices of their people."
"We recognize that reform will not happen overnight. We must always remind Russia, however, that our alliance stands for a free press, a vital opposition, the sharing of power and the rule of law," he said.
Western and Russian civil rights campaigners accuse Putin of restricting democracy by abolishing the election of provincial governors, pursuing a legal vendetta against the Yukos oil company and tightening the Kremlin's grip on the media.
His comments set the scene for what could be a robust summit with Putin in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on Thursday.
"The president's remarks on Russia, warning of the need to protect democratic values, were also stronger than anything he had previously said on the subject," said analyst Fraser Cameron of the European Policy Center.
WRONG TRACK
One Russian commentator said the speech would irk the Kremlin.
"I am afraid that may be met with some irritation on the Russian side as probably many Russian politicians are curious as to why ... the nature of the domestic political regime should be the subject of international political discussions," said Boris Makarenko of the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow.
Bush said Russia's future lay within the family of Europe and the transatlantic community and his comments should not damage his personal ties with Putin.
"I have got a good relationship with Vladimir and I intend to keep it that way," he told reporters. "But as well, I intend to remind him that if his interests lie west, that we share values and those values are important."
Russian analyst Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Bush's comments reflected a widespread feeling in Washington that Russia was regressing.
"There seems to be a consensus in the administration that Russia is not on the right track at the moment as far as democracy is concerned, but as (Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice has said, the view is that disengaging from Russia is not the right move, hence the mention of WTO membership," she said.
"For the summit, he cannot refrain from bringing up democracy, being under pressure at home, after he used the word 'liberty' so many times," Lipman said.
Eberhard Sandschneider of the German Council on Foreign Relations said Putin may have irritated Bush by vowing last week to press ahead with nuclear cooperation with Iran and rejecting Washington's accusations that Tehran is seeking atomic weapons. (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe in Moscow)
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050221/pl_nm/bush_europe_russia_dc_6)
Mon Feb 21, 6:22 PM ET
By Paul Taylor
BRUSSELS (*******) - President Bush took his strongest jab so far at the state of democracy and the rule of law in Russia on Monday, three days before he is due to meet President Vladimir Putin.
In a speech appealing for European support for his global campaign for democracy, Bush referred to widespread concerns that Putin has chosen an increasingly authoritarian path.
"For Russia to make progress as a European nation, the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law," he told an audience in Brussels, headquarters of the 25-nation European Union and the NATO alliance.
The United States and European countries should "place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue" with Moscow.
Bush said Washington backed Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization -- this year if possible -- because meeting the Geneva-based body's standards would "strengthen the gains of freedom and prosperity in that country."
But he later told reporters that WTO membership required a liberal economy and open markets, which "tend to track countries that are open to the voices of their people."
"We recognize that reform will not happen overnight. We must always remind Russia, however, that our alliance stands for a free press, a vital opposition, the sharing of power and the rule of law," he said.
Western and Russian civil rights campaigners accuse Putin of restricting democracy by abolishing the election of provincial governors, pursuing a legal vendetta against the Yukos oil company and tightening the Kremlin's grip on the media.
His comments set the scene for what could be a robust summit with Putin in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on Thursday.
"The president's remarks on Russia, warning of the need to protect democratic values, were also stronger than anything he had previously said on the subject," said analyst Fraser Cameron of the European Policy Center.
WRONG TRACK
One Russian commentator said the speech would irk the Kremlin.
"I am afraid that may be met with some irritation on the Russian side as probably many Russian politicians are curious as to why ... the nature of the domestic political regime should be the subject of international political discussions," said Boris Makarenko of the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow.
Bush said Russia's future lay within the family of Europe and the transatlantic community and his comments should not damage his personal ties with Putin.
"I have got a good relationship with Vladimir and I intend to keep it that way," he told reporters. "But as well, I intend to remind him that if his interests lie west, that we share values and those values are important."
Russian analyst Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Bush's comments reflected a widespread feeling in Washington that Russia was regressing.
"There seems to be a consensus in the administration that Russia is not on the right track at the moment as far as democracy is concerned, but as (Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice has said, the view is that disengaging from Russia is not the right move, hence the mention of WTO membership," she said.
"For the summit, he cannot refrain from bringing up democracy, being under pressure at home, after he used the word 'liberty' so many times," Lipman said.
Eberhard Sandschneider of the German Council on Foreign Relations said Putin may have irritated Bush by vowing last week to press ahead with nuclear cooperation with Iran and rejecting Washington's accusations that Tehran is seeking atomic weapons. (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe in Moscow)
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050221/pl_nm/bush_europe_russia_dc_6)