News
- 26 March 2007, 08:30
- The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
Today at the residence of Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Germany to Moscow Jurgen Schmid, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika has met with the Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from twenty-seven EU member states.
The meeting took place at the initiative of Germany because Germany at present presided over the European Union.
In his speech addressed to the diplomats, Yuri Chaika, first of all, congratulated them on the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which laid foundation for the European Union and expressed his hope for further efficient co-operation.
The main theme in the speech of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation became the fight against corruption. “Corruption is no longer a problem of one state, said Yuri Chaika. It has become an international problem, and it cannot be solved without co-ordinated actions of all states”.
The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation told the diplomats that a special division was created within the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation with the main task to prevent corruption among civil servants. It allowed the Prosecution Service to focus all its efforts on the prevention of corruption-related crimes.
Yuri Chaika told the diplomats that the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation had recently made some successful checkups including in the federal ministries and institutions following which more than 17, 000 representations were prepared to settle the violations of law. Several civil servants were prosecuted (more than 600 criminal cases were initiated) and approximately 3,000 civil cervants were brought to disciplinary responsibility. On the whole, 6546 facts of bribe taking and 4517 of bribe giving were detected in Russia in 2006.
Noting positive co-operation between Russia and the European Union characterizing, first of all, by growing interest in each other, Yuri Chaika at the same time drew attention of the Ambassadors to the fact that quite often Russia faced unreasonable opposition of the European countries, especially in the cases of extradition of criminals accused of economic or common crimes. “These issues are artificially politicized”, said Yuri Chaika.
Moreover, noted the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, at present it was obvious that the existing European mechanisms of co-operation in criminal matters in many aspects did not meet present and, moreover, future long-range requirements of our countries. Therefore, according to the decisions of the Conference of European Ministers of Justice held in Helsinki in April 2005, Warsaw Summit of the Council of Europe and the 7th Conference of Prosecutors General of the Council of Europe member states held in Moscow in July 2006, legal instruments and practices of the pan-European co-operation in criminal law field were being updated.
In the opinion of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation certain measures should be taken to elaborate treaties of the second generation as it was done, fore example, in regard to the 1990 Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (the Strasbourg Convention) in relation to the European Conventions on Extradition and Legal Assistance.
Yuri Chaika noted that the issue required support from the EU and its member states.
Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Germany to Moscow Jurgen Schmid thanked the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation for his meaningful speech and gave the diplomats an opportunity to ask thier questions answering which Yuri Chaika expanded on the structure of the Prosecution Service of Russia and its functions.
The forthcoming reform of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, namely the foundation of the Investigative Committee, also aroused the interest of the Ambassadors. The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation noted that he supported the idea of separating of powers of the investigation of crimes and supervision over it and, consequently, he upheld a concept of the proposed draft establishing the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, considering it as a first step toward the creation of a future uniform Investigative Service. The draft was then under consideration by the State Duma, but it contained minor defects which would have been corrected by the second reading.
The diplomats also asked about the investigation of the so-called “Tri Kita” case. The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation informed the diplomats that the investigation of the case had been already completed, and the accused and victims examined the case files and the case would be submitted to the court in the near future.
On the whole, they had a constructive and interesting dialogue. The Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from the EU member states expressed satisfaction with the discussion with Yuri Chaika. They also noted that for the first time they had an opportunity to ask the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation questions during the informal meeting.
FOF INFORMATION
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation places a great emphasis on the maintenance and development of bilateral co-operation with the European Union member states (eight interagency Agreements have been concluded with seven EU member states).
On 16-18 October 2006, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation paid an official visit to the Republic of Cyprus, during which the Memorandum on Co-operation with the Attorney General’s Office of Cyprus was signed; it contained provisions on co-ordination of joint actions in the fight against organized crime, money laundering and rendering legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.
In November 2006, during the visit of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Alexander G.Zvyagintsev to Great Britain, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales was signed, and it was provisionally arranged that an Agreement on Co-operation with the Scotland Yard would be signed. The Draft Agreement on Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Home Office of Great Britain is now under consideration in the Home Office of Great Britain.
On January 30, 2007, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika met with Prosecutor General of the Kingdom of Sweden Mr. Fredrik Wersäll. During the meeting they discussed co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Offices of Russia and Sweden. The two colleagues agreed to sign an Agreement on Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Kingdom of Sweden, in this connection a Draft Agreement was submitted to the delegation from the Prosecution Service of Sweden.
On February 27, 2007, in the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika met with Prosecutor General of the Republic of Finland Mr. Matti Kuusimäki. During the meeting topical issues of co-operation between the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland were discussed including legal assistance in criminal matters. Following the talks, several agreements on futher development of co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Offices of both countries were reached including on the possibility of organizing a workshop to exchange experience in training of the prosecutorial officers (at the suggestion of Finland the first workshop will presumably take place in Russia).
At present, the Programm of Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Justice of the French Republic for 2007 is under preparation and co-ordination with the French colleagues.
At the same time, the meetings of Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika with Minister of Justice of the French Republic Pascal Clement in April 2007 and with Federal Minister of Justice of Germany Mrs. Brigitte Zypries in June 2007 are under organization.
The Prosecutor General's Office
of the Russian Federation
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
26 March 2007, 08:30
MEETING OF THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION WITH THE EU AMBASSADORS
Today at the residence of Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Germany to Moscow Jurgen Schmid, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika has met with the Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from twenty-seven EU member states.
The meeting took place at the initiative of Germany because Germany at present presided over the European Union.
In his speech addressed to the diplomats, Yuri Chaika, first of all, congratulated them on the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which laid foundation for the European Union and expressed his hope for further efficient co-operation.
The main theme in the speech of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation became the fight against corruption. “Corruption is no longer a problem of one state, said Yuri Chaika. It has become an international problem, and it cannot be solved without co-ordinated actions of all states”.
The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation told the diplomats that a special division was created within the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation with the main task to prevent corruption among civil servants. It allowed the Prosecution Service to focus all its efforts on the prevention of corruption-related crimes.
Yuri Chaika told the diplomats that the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation had recently made some successful checkups including in the federal ministries and institutions following which more than 17, 000 representations were prepared to settle the violations of law. Several civil servants were prosecuted (more than 600 criminal cases were initiated) and approximately 3,000 civil cervants were brought to disciplinary responsibility. On the whole, 6546 facts of bribe taking and 4517 of bribe giving were detected in Russia in 2006.
Noting positive co-operation between Russia and the European Union characterizing, first of all, by growing interest in each other, Yuri Chaika at the same time drew attention of the Ambassadors to the fact that quite often Russia faced unreasonable opposition of the European countries, especially in the cases of extradition of criminals accused of economic or common crimes. “These issues are artificially politicized”, said Yuri Chaika.
Moreover, noted the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, at present it was obvious that the existing European mechanisms of co-operation in criminal matters in many aspects did not meet present and, moreover, future long-range requirements of our countries. Therefore, according to the decisions of the Conference of European Ministers of Justice held in Helsinki in April 2005, Warsaw Summit of the Council of Europe and the 7th Conference of Prosecutors General of the Council of Europe member states held in Moscow in July 2006, legal instruments and practices of the pan-European co-operation in criminal law field were being updated.
In the opinion of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation certain measures should be taken to elaborate treaties of the second generation as it was done, fore example, in regard to the 1990 Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (the Strasbourg Convention) in relation to the European Conventions on Extradition and Legal Assistance.
Yuri Chaika noted that the issue required support from the EU and its member states.
Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Germany to Moscow Jurgen Schmid thanked the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation for his meaningful speech and gave the diplomats an opportunity to ask thier questions answering which Yuri Chaika expanded on the structure of the Prosecution Service of Russia and its functions.
The forthcoming reform of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, namely the foundation of the Investigative Committee, also aroused the interest of the Ambassadors. The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation noted that he supported the idea of separating of powers of the investigation of crimes and supervision over it and, consequently, he upheld a concept of the proposed draft establishing the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, considering it as a first step toward the creation of a future uniform Investigative Service. The draft was then under consideration by the State Duma, but it contained minor defects which would have been corrected by the second reading.
The diplomats also asked about the investigation of the so-called “Tri Kita” case. The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation informed the diplomats that the investigation of the case had been already completed, and the accused and victims examined the case files and the case would be submitted to the court in the near future.
On the whole, they had a constructive and interesting dialogue. The Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from the EU member states expressed satisfaction with the discussion with Yuri Chaika. They also noted that for the first time they had an opportunity to ask the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation questions during the informal meeting.
FOF INFORMATION
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation places a great emphasis on the maintenance and development of bilateral co-operation with the European Union member states (eight interagency Agreements have been concluded with seven EU member states).
On 16-18 October 2006, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation paid an official visit to the Republic of Cyprus, during which the Memorandum on Co-operation with the Attorney General’s Office of Cyprus was signed; it contained provisions on co-ordination of joint actions in the fight against organized crime, money laundering and rendering legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.
In November 2006, during the visit of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Alexander G.Zvyagintsev to Great Britain, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales was signed, and it was provisionally arranged that an Agreement on Co-operation with the Scotland Yard would be signed. The Draft Agreement on Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Home Office of Great Britain is now under consideration in the Home Office of Great Britain.
On January 30, 2007, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika met with Prosecutor General of the Kingdom of Sweden Mr. Fredrik Wersäll. During the meeting they discussed co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Offices of Russia and Sweden. The two colleagues agreed to sign an Agreement on Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Kingdom of Sweden, in this connection a Draft Agreement was submitted to the delegation from the Prosecution Service of Sweden.
On February 27, 2007, in the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika met with Prosecutor General of the Republic of Finland Mr. Matti Kuusimäki. During the meeting topical issues of co-operation between the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland were discussed including legal assistance in criminal matters. Following the talks, several agreements on futher development of co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Offices of both countries were reached including on the possibility of organizing a workshop to exchange experience in training of the prosecutorial officers (at the suggestion of Finland the first workshop will presumably take place in Russia).
At present, the Programm of Co-operation between the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Justice of the French Republic for 2007 is under preparation and co-ordination with the French colleagues.
At the same time, the meetings of Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika with Minister of Justice of the French Republic Pascal Clement in April 2007 and with Federal Minister of Justice of Germany Mrs. Brigitte Zypries in June 2007 are under organization.
