EU ‘punches well below its weight’ on Russia

The EU has shown an "utter lack of leadership" when dealing with Russia and should look beyond energy concerns when dealing with its President, Vladimir Putin, the director of Human Rights Watch has said.

Kenneth Roth said that the EU was "punching well below its weight" on human rights issues and that decision-making on global issues should be speeded up.

"Energy security is a major concern but EU leaders need to ask about [whether they should be] securing the help of Putin," said Roth, during a visit to Brussels this week.

Europe needed to develop a long-term strategy with Russia, focusing on human rights and the rule of law, in other to secure a better partner, he added. "The EU needs to go beyond the short-termism of the next energy concern and think about the long-term reliability of Russia."

Relations between the EU and other countries such as China, Uzbekistan and Burma also needed to be questioned, Roth said. He criticised an agreement outlined by EU foreign ministers last month to set up a human rights dialogue with Uzbekistan, following the killing of protestors in the eastern town of Andijan in May 2005, saying it would be an "empty talk session". He also criticised Germany for calling for sanctions on Uzbekistan to be eased. He added that EU member states could not do business in Burma "without being complicit in forced labour".

The US had lost credibility on human rights, he said, following admissions of torture and detention in its so-called war on terror and it was up to the EU to fill the void. "Unless the EU stands up and assumes the role, influence will pass to China and Russia". The EU’s decision-making procedure, he added, was designed to build consensus on developing the internal market but was "a disaster in propelling influence around the world".

The EU has shown an "utter lack of leadership" when dealing with Russia and should look beyond energy concerns when dealing with its President, Vladimir Putin, the director of Human Rights Watch has said.