THIRD REPORT
The Foreign Affairs Committee has agreed to the
following Report:—
RELATIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Russian Federation[6]
is the largest, richest and most powerful of the states which
previously made up the Soviet Union[7].
It is a country with vast natural resources and a potent arsenal
of nuclear and conventional weapons. It is a partner with the
United Kingdom as a permanent member of the United Nations Security
Council, a member of the G8 and of the Organisation for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe. The
relationship between Russia and the United Kingdom is thus a key
element of our foreign policy. As the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO) put it, "relations with Russia, and her stability
and development, remain important for the United Kingdom... The
UK has already done much to help Russia with the difficult process
of change: there is strong UK interest in satisfactory further
developments."[8]
2. We set ourselves the following formal terms of
reference:
"To inquire into the role and policies of the
FCO in relation to the Russian Federation."
The FCO set out for us the two principal goals of
British policy towards Russia.[9]
These were:
- the development of political stability and democracy,
and
- the development of a stable market economy.
These goals are central, in our view as well as that
of the FCO, to making progress in what the Department describes
as key areas:
- a healthy trading relationship, providing opportunities
for British business, and a legislative and regulatory framework
which promotes and protects direct investment
- a constructive foreign and security policy partnership
- a reduced threat from weapons of mass destruction
and conventional weapons
- increased support for human rights
- co-operation to counter international crime
- reduced cross-border environmental threat
- improvement in living standards of ordinary Russians,
especially the poorest.
We support the FCO in its work to make progress in
these areas, and agree with their assessment that they are indeed
key. This report will describe the context within which the United
Kingdom operates in Russia in each key area. We then examine what
has been achieved by the British Government multilaterally and
bilaterally to achieve its aims, and we make recommendations for
the future.
3. At the very beginning of this report we want to
emphasise both the potential which Russia offers, and the concerns
which constrain that potential. Russia could and should be an
important market for British goods and an important partner in
foreign affairs. There are many shared values between our two
countries, exemplified by membership of the Council of Europe.
At the same time there are concerns—about the environment,
about economic and political stability and about the extent to
which Russia has become a democracy and a market economy, and
most recently about the ferocity of the Russian attack in Chechnya.
4. From 18 to 22 October 1999 we visited Russia,
travelling to Moscow and then separating into two groups which
visited St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg respectively. Full details
of those whom we met are set out in an Annex. We are very grateful
to the British Embassy in Moscow and the Consulates General in
St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg for the first rate assistance which
they gave to us, and to all those whom we met and who briefed
or otherwise helped us during our visit.
5. We took oral evidence on four occasions. On 12
October 1999 we heard first from Ms Fiona Weir and Ms Mariana
Katzarova of Amnesty International and Mr Bill Bowring of Essex
University, an expert on human rights in Russia. We then heard
Mr Mark Byford, Chief Executive, and Mr David Morton and Mr Mike
Elliott of the BBC World Service, followed by Dr Anne Wozencraft
and Mr Tony Andrews of the British Council. On 26 October we heard
first from four academics with expertise in different aspects
of Russia: Professor Philip Hanson of the University of Birmingham,
Professor Margot Light of the London School of Economics, Dr Alex
Pravda of Oxford University and Dr Mark Galeotti of Keele University.
A second panel of witnesses that day was made up of Mr Anatol
Lieven of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Mr
John Lloyd of the New Statesman and Mr Xan Smiley of The
Economist. On 2 November, our witnesses were principally drawn
from the business and financial community. They were Mr David
Cant of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce, Mr David Bonser
and Mr Desmond Cecil of British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL), Mr Howard
Chase of BP Amoco plc, Mr Alan Brown of Barclays plc, Mr David
Riley of Fitch IBCA, and Mr Sergey Putintsev and Mr Gordon Hutt
of SGS UK Ltd. We also heard from Sir Rodric Braithwaite, former
British Ambassador in Moscow. Our final oral session was on 8
December when the Rt Hon Robin Cook MP, Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave evidence, accompanied by
two of his officials, Mr Emyr Jones Parry and Ms Anne Pringle.
A large number of written memoranda were also received.[10]
We express our gratitude to all our witnesses for the enormous
help they gave us in this inquiry.
6. The Committee held a useful informal meeting with
Mr Alexander Kramarenko, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy
of the Russian Federation on 2 February 2000. We are grateful
to Mr Kramarenko for coming to meet us.
7. The Committee also benefited greatly from the
expert advice of Dr Edwin Bacon of the University of Birmingham
and of Dr Bill Tompson of Birkbeck College, University of London.
Mr Paul Bergne, a long standing specialist on Russia and currently
associated with St Antony's College Oxford, also gave us advice.
We are much indebted to all our advisers.
6 Hereafter referred to in
this Report as Russia. Back
7 Russia is legally recognised
as the successor to the Soviet Union. It also opted to inherit,
in their entirety, the assets and debts of the Soviet Union rather
than seek apportionment amongst all the states of the former Soviet
Union. Back
8 Ev. p. 114. Back
9 Ev. p. 116. Back
10 These are listed at p.
lxxiii. Back
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