Milos Zeman
Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
Speech transcribed and edited for client publication by Civitatis International.
The crucial point is the relationship between the European Union and the Russian Federation. We were asked to respond to this question or at least to express our views. I will try to formulate some intellectual provocation because only provocation moves our discussion and thinking forward.
I will start with the situation that existed inside the European Union 10 years ago. If you remember there was a big dispute about widening and deepening the European Union and these processes were formulated in the style of ‘either…or’, contradictory processes. I do not think so, I think these are complementary processes because reasonable deepening is an impulse for reasonable widening and vice versa. Based on this experience my response is full integration of the European Union and the Russian Federation. Not enhanced partnership only (it might be a transitive phase – why not?) but full partnership. What are the reasons for full membership of the Russian Federation? There are three reasons and the first is economic because 85% of exports of the Russian Federation is represented by raw materials. On the other side, the Russian Federation could import modern technology so both economies would be complementary; there is no substitution but complementarity. The second reason is cultural. If I take literature alone, you have Dostoyevsky, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstoy and so on, it is European culture without a doubt. But I would like to stress the political factor, the third factor, because I think that such a form of long-term integration might be reached within the next 20 years. Such integration would be reasonable in the fight against Islamic terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism because I think this is the main danger that the 21st century faces, not only for political but also for military reasons.
I would like to stress that if there is such a thing as a European dream we must try to remove the obstacles which exist. One of the main obstacles is the proposed radar station on Czech territory. I do not believe that this is against Iran, I have a strong suspicion that it is against Russia and if so I consider it to be an unnecessary provocation. If we try to integrate the Russian Federation and the European Union we must avoid the risk of radar bases in my country because I consider them as a provocation, and I do not believe that they could be effective against Iran. It would be something like the Maginot line which was built in France in the 30s to no effect.
For five years I participated at the Rhodes conference called “Dialogue of Civilisation” and I tell my Russian friends that when you disagree with my idea of full membership of the Russian Federation in the European Union, let us imagine it instead as the European Union entering the Russian Federation. The result would be the same.
The crucial point is the relationship between the European Union and the Russian Federation. We were asked to respond to this question or at least to express our views. I will try to formulate some intellectual provocation because only provocation moves our discussion and thinking forward.
I will start with the situation that existed inside the European Union 10 years ago. If you remember there was a big dispute about widening and deepening the European Union and these processes were formulated in the style of ‘either…or’, contradictory processes. I do not think so, I think these are complementary processes because reasonable deepening is an impulse for reasonable widening and vice versa. Based on this experience my response is full integration of the European Union and the Russian Federation. Not enhanced partnership only (it might be a transitive phase – why not?) but full partnership. What are the reasons for full membership of the Russian Federation? There are three reasons and the first is economic because 85% of exports of the Russian Federation is represented by raw materials. On the other side, the Russian Federation could import modern technology so both economies would be complementary; there is no substitution but complementarity. The second reason is cultural. If I take literature alone, you have Dostoyevsky, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstoy and so on, it is European culture without a doubt. But I would like to stress the political factor, the third factor, because I think that such a form of long-term integration might be reached within the next 20 years. Such integration would be reasonable in the fight against Islamic terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism because I think this is the main danger that the 21st century faces, not only for political but also for military reasons.
I would like to stress that if there is such a thing as a European dream we must try to remove the obstacles which exist. One of the main obstacles is the proposed radar station on Czech territory. I do not believe that this is against Iran, I have a strong suspicion that it is against Russia and if so I consider it to be an unnecessary provocation. If we try to integrate the Russian Federation and the European Union we must avoid the risk of radar bases in my country because I consider them as a provocation, and I do not believe that they could be effective against Iran. It would be something like the Maginot line which was built in France in the 30s to no effect.
For five years I participated at the Rhodes conference called “Dialogue of Civilisation” and I tell my Russian friends that when you disagree with my idea of full membership of the Russian Federation in the European Union, let us imagine it instead as the European Union entering the Russian Federation. The result would be the same.