On February 26, 2021, RIAC held an online breakfast “Why does the Council of Europe need Russia? Why does Russia need the Council of Europe?” timed to the 25th anniversary of Russian Federation membership of the Council of Europe.
The speakers included Mark Entin, Head of the Department of European Law at MGIMO University, RIAC Expert; and Sergey Utkin, Head of the Group for Strategic Assessment at the Center for Situational Analysis of RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations, RIAC Expert.
On February 26, 2021, RIAC held an online breakfast “Why does the Council of Europe need Russia? Why does Russia need the Council of Europe?” timed to the 25th anniversary of Russian Federation membership of the Council of Europe.
The speakers included Mark Entin, Head of the Department of European Law at MGIMO University, RIAC Expert; and Sergey Utkin, Head of the Group for Strategic Assessment at the Center for Situational Analysis of RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations, RIAC Expert.
Experts talked about the history of Russia becoming the member State of the Council of Europe and the advantages of being a member State in this organization, and also presented their views on the ways of resolving disputes. The event was moderated by Natalya Vyakhireva, RIAC Program Manager, and Milan Lazovich, RIAC Program Assistant.
List of Talking Points
Mark Entin
It is extremely inappropriate today to artificially separate Europe from Russia. The EU can hardly be considered a significant global player without cooperation with the Russian Federation.
For the most part, today the EU countries are aware of the need for close and equal interaction with Russia, which meets the interests of both parties. This is especially noticeable in the discussions on Russia's role in PACE and its recent return to the Assembly.
Russia and the EU have every chance to normalize bilateral relations by establishing cooperation mechanisms, through such organizations as the Council of Europe and others.
The Council of Europe is an authoritative international organization that has long been regarded as the “Conscience of Europe”.
It is necessary to stop politicizing Russia's membership of the Council of Europe, PACE, and the ECHR.
Having strategy and political will Russia can achieve almost anything.
In order to fulfill one’s national interests, it is important to work really hard, and Russia is good at it.
It is most expedient to look at the state of relations between Russia and the Council of Europe, Russia and the European Union through the perspective of a politically strong Russia.
Sergey Utkin
Membership in international organizations should be considered in the broader context of foreign policy and international relations in general. No international organizations are a panacea for the challenges modern States are facing.
The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organization, the general policy line of which is shaped by the positions of its member States. This must be taken into consideration to avoid excessive expectations.
The Council of Europe is often mentioned in the media in the negative context, for example, in the view of "scandals", primarily in connection with the ECHR. However, it is important that significant work is being performed outside the framework of media statements, which is often not reported by the media, in particular, the work on the margins of the Council of Europe with the participation of Russian diplomats and Russian ministers, as well as dialog between municipalities and region authorities.
Russia needs to preserve and develop an organization in Europe in which Russia is endowed with full rights. Russia, as a full member of the Council of Europe, can take part in discussions and exchange of experience. Compared to NATO, where Russia does not and will not have the right to vote, the Council of Europe framework implies that Russia's opinion is taken into account, which is an essential factor.
There is a lot of criticism regarding the ECHR. It is not quite correct to say that Russia is unable to interact with the ECHR. In 95% of cases, we can say that the ECHR decisions are not only recognized in Russia, but also implemented in terms of monetary compensation awarded by them. Moreover, the mechanisms of the Council of Europe provide Russia with the potential to improve the judicial and legal system. So it is necessary to continue working with the ECHR.
Even when there are disagreements, it is crucial to maintain communication channels. The approach to preserve the channels of communication is now prevailing, which is a definite achievement.
When we observe certain sentiments regarding the Council of Europe, similar to those of the supporters of Brexit, we need to take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of membership in the organization. Sovereignization is unlikely to solve most challenges, and it will lead to the loss of ability to influence the decision-making process. In this regard, it is worth using the existing mechanisms.
