European Parliament calls on member states to avoid bilateral agreements with Russia

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) gathered in Strasbourg for a plenary session Wednesday called on member states of the European Union (EU) to avoid bilateral agreements with Russia, judging that the Russian Federation is no long a strategic partner of the EU.

"To ensure solidarity amongst the member states, a robust, rules-based European Energy Union should be created swiftly," affirmed the MEPs during a resolution adopted by 494 votes in favor, 135 against and 69 abstentions.

"The EU must critically re-assess its relations with Russia," and "must now develop a soft-power contingency plan," they added.

They have also called on the European Commission (EC) and the member states to put in place a coordination mechanism in order to monitor financial assistance, political or technical, furnished by Russia to political parties or other organizations in the EU and to evaluate their influence on political life and public opinion.

"The Commission should also propose legislation ensuring the full transparency of political funding and financing of political parties in the EU by stakeholders outside it," indicated the MEPs.

They judged however that, in the long term, "a constructive and predictable relationship between the EU and Russia is desirable for their mutual benefit," while insisting that "cooperation can only be resumed if Russia implements the Minsk agreements in full," along with the fulfillment of other necessary conditions.

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea, relations between the EU and Russia have been under tension. Endit