"The report on the crimes of communism is not ready for debate," said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian delegation and the international affairs committee of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament. "I predict a heated debate at the PACE political commission's meeting tomorrow."
The commission will hold a meeting in Paris on September 13 to discuss a report on "the condemnation of the admiration and justification of Nazism" in modern Europe and a report on "the need for international condemnation of the crimes of communism."
Kosachev said some PACE members did not differentiate between the terms "communism" and "totalitarian Nazism," two regimes that pursued different ideologies. He said the Russian delegates did not share some of the views of their European colleagues on this issue.
The report on Nazism, which contains proposals and remarks on the problem, was initiated by Russia and will be presented by Mikhail Margelov, head of the international affairs committee of Russia's Federation Council (upper house of parliament).
"No specific instances or countries are mentioned in the report," Kosachev said. "However, Russia's concerns over certain events that are taking place in the Baltic countries are easy to understand." Former SS fighters enjoy the same benefits as WWII veterans in Estonia and Latvia, and this is unacceptable, Kosachev said.
The commission is expected to decide tomorrow whether the reports will be included in the agenda of PACE's fall session.
