§ 8. Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon)If he will make a statement on anti-Semitism in Russia. [90462]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ms Joyce Quin)We continue to be concerned about anti-Semitic incidents in Russia. As I said in my written answer to my hon. Friend's question on 22 June, anti-Semitic comments by Duma Deputies Makashov and I1yukhin last year caused widespread outrage. The recent stabbing in the Jewish cultural centre in Moscow also reminds us of the dangers of extremism. We instigated European Union presidency representations on anti-Semitism in January, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue with the Russians during his visit to Russia in March.
§ Mr. DismoreI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for her statement. Clearly, there is grave concern in the Jewish community which is fuelled by the growth of anti-Semitic statements such as those that she mentioned and the attacks on synagogues in Moscow and the far east in May, including, most recently, the appalling attempted murder last week of Mr. Kaimonarsky, the director of the Jewish cultural centre in Moscow. Although the Russian Government promise that they will take action, very little appears to have happened on the ground. When Mr. Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, comes to London tomorrow for a two-day visit, will my right hon. Friend raise with him our concerns about the extremely worrying lack of action and find out whether something practical can be done to deal with the problem?
§ Ms QuinCertainly, human rights will be one of the issues on the agenda for the discussions between my right hon. Friend and the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Ivanov. We constantly seek information about that area of policy via a number of routes, including, not least, our embassy, and we make representations whenever it is appropriate. I also discussed those issues with the President's human rights adviser, Professor Kartashkin, when he visited London earlier this year.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)When the Foreign Secretary made representations about the offensive statements by Russian Deputies, was any apology, whether direct or indirect, forthcoming? In considering the problem of anti-Semitism among the Russian population as a whole, will the right hon. Lady accept that economic adversity, although it can never justify or excuse that evil, provides fertile ground for its continuation? Does she therefore agree that early pressure on the Russians to undertake the reforms necessary for economic progress is of the utmost importance?
§ Ms QuinFirst, shortly after Deputy Makashov's original outburst, President Yeltsin condemned such racial intolerance, and I understand that the Russian authorities have brought charges against Deputy Makashov, so action has been taken.
On the more general issue raised by the hon. Gentleman, obviously we are engaged in dialogue with the Russians on a number of economic and social issues, including economic assistance resulting from International Monetary Fund negotiations. The European Union is formulating a common strategy towards Russia, which is an attempt to have a strategic overview in our relations with the Russians, including economic and social issues. We are concerned to ensure that our policies, particularly on aid and trade, help to tackle some of the problems and have an impact in Russia as a whole.