§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider that the accession of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe is in accordance with the Vienna Declaration of 9th October 1993, which "presupposes that the applicant country has brought its institutions and legal systems into line with the basic principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights".
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)The decision to admit the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe was a political judgment as well as a judgment on whether or not Russia qualified for admission in advance in accordance with the terms of the Vienna Declaration. In that sense admission was not achieved solely in terms of the Vienna Declaration. We considered that in Russia's case it was more likely to meet Council of Europe standards as a member of the organisation than if it was kept outside. Early experience suggests that Russia is making efforts as a member, along with others who use their membership to reinforce their commitment to democratic principles and human rights, to meet its obligations to the organisation.