BRUSSELS, Oct 12 – Europe must not be blinded by potential economic rewards in Russia and ignore the absence of democracy there, a leading Russian opposition politician said on Wednesday.
Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the liberal Yabloko party, said the European Union’s talks with Russia to build closer ties glossed over Moscow’s failure to respect human rights. Russia was an authoritarian state, he said.
«I have a problem with the road maps (EU proposals) which are heading in one direction and the realities (that) are taking the opposite direction … in all these areas, except maybe economic,» he told a news conference at the European Parliament.
Russia’s strategy towards Europe was: «We are supplying gas to you — be happy,» Yavlinsky said.(reuters)