MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Dmitry Kosyrev.) Thierry de Montbrial, director of the French Institute of International Relations, is perhaps the best French expert on Russia and far from the last one in Europe.
A talk with him enables one to get a clear idea of the current situation in Europe, which is being torn by disputes over its borders, asking the question, who, why and for what reason can someone be considered a European?
Question: Are you following the dispute over Russia's "incorporation" into Europe - in all every meaning of the word?
Answer: Speaking of Russia and Europe, we just have too many different versions concerning analysis of the situation. The first - what is Europe? The second - does Russia really want to join the EU?
There is no definition of Europe in the geographical and historical sense of the word. For example, historians usually say that Russia joined the European "game" under Peter the Great. However, they do not say that it joined Europe as such, that is important. Different people would provide different definitions of Europe. A usual geographical and historical answer is that Europe spreads to the Urals, and Siberia. However, a more modern and important political issue is building the European Union. Quite different criteria are applied to Europe in this sense. These are, for example, the Copenhagen Criteria, which we apply to Turkey's accession to the EU. They include secularism, human rights and many other things.
We, as EU members could say: well, Russia wants to apply for EU membership. If Turkey is a legitimate candidate, then how can we say that Russia does not meet the requirements? We will add, however, that in order to join the EU, Russia should meet the Copenhagen Criteria.
The most important thing is that Russia is not striving to announce its candidacy. From the point of view of its public and political institutions, Russia is not yet ready for this. The country sees itself as a great power, a former superpower, preferring to talk about equal relations with the EU and the United States.
I remember that 30 years ago, at the height of the cold war, people said some day Russia would form an alliance with NATO against China. However, this was pure speculation. Perhaps, if the Atlantic Alliance were reformed, the idea of Russia's joining it would look realistic.
Q.: Does the European Union want Russia to become a European country? Sometimes we get the impression that staying outside the EU, like India, is much more advantageous for Russia. All European countries treat India well and therefore it is hard to imagine India becoming a part of Europe.
A.: Since the breakup of the USSR, the EU has been expanding too fast to be able to accept all those wishing to join it. There is no cultural unity in Europe. Therefore if you talk to an average intellectual or politician, you will find out that it is too early even to discuss such problems because before Russia, the EU will come up against many other problems such as Ukraine. There are people in Europe, notably, in Poland and Lithuania, who would like Ukraine to join the EU. However, we may be unprepared to accept it. And moreover, we, Russians, are not ready to be members of the EU.
Q.: You are talking about political or technical, procedural issues related to the EU. My questions concern a culture-logical aspect. Should Russians become Europeans in order to be treated well in Western Europe? Or is Turkey a European country? Are you prepared to admit that it is a European country?
A.: Naturally, Russians are more Europeans than Turks. However, a controversy over the question of whether Russia is a European country or not has been going on in Russia for a long time. It began in Russia, not in the West. Interestingly, the arguments used in this dispute are the same as in the 19th century when the Westernists and Slavophils debated this issue. Even then, the idea was gaining ground, that, Russia is both an Asian and European country with its own identity and place in the world.
Russia and Europe know little about each other. In my country a few people have an idea about your country. A trip to Moscow or St. Petersburg may help in some cases. And vice versa, a few Russians have a correct idea of European culture. On both sides, there are people who speak fluent English or Russian but do not understand the political culture of a country. One example to illustrate this point is the current meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, which we are attending. We all use the same words, however, they do not necessarily have the same meaning. For example, let us take the word "democracy." Alexander Rahr, a German expert on Russia, said that Russia "is losing Europe." I agree with him, however, the point at issue in this case is the country's internal evolution. It is very difficult to separate its internal policy from external one.
Therefore the most important thing is to find out whether we will be able to draw together within the forthcoming ten years and whether there will be progress in our convergence. This is a more realistic way of handling the problem than talking about Russia's EU membership.
