62089    In light of Mr. Schmidt's statement and looking back on the relationship between the West and Russia after the end of the Cold War, the basic principle must have been the "sharing of democratic values."

62090    Russia will accept the value system comparable to that of the West including the respect for basic human rights, recognition of political pluralism, and free economic enterprise based on the market principle as the foundation of the new country.

62091    Contingent on the foregoing, it was agreed that the West would provide assistance to Russia's rebirth.

62092    However, as pointed out before, the Yeltsin administration has deviated from its original idea of promoting democracy and reform to adopt increasingly anti-democratic, iron-fisted closed-door policies.

62093    The Russian invasion of Chechnya trampled on the "peaceful resolution of conflicts" and "respect for the rights of ethnic minorities" advocated in the Charter of Paris of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which should be described as the fundamental law to define international relations on the European continent after the Cold War, and has an element that cannot be dismissed as an internal matter.

62094    Including Japan, the source of assistance from the West to Russia is taxpayers' money.

62095    Continuing support for a government that is busy with its own agenda of clinging to power and reckless military adventures, while paying no attention to democratization and economic reform, is against the will of the people of the supporting nations.

62096    We wonder if the Group of Seven leading industrial nations should meet to discuss afresh their policies toward Russia.

62097    Letting the Yeltsin government get away with it as "no matter what we do, the West has no choice but to continue supporting Russia" will be doing disservice to the Russian people in the end.

62098    Is it too late?

62099    It is not just the disaster victims.

62100    That is what a large segment of the public feel.

62101    In the answering period immediately after the Diet began its session, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said: "For one thing, this is my first ever experience."

62102    Even so, it cannot be used as an excuse for his poor ability to deal with the crisis.

62103    For the Great Hanshin Earthquake that killed the largest number of people since the end of the war, we want to ask what emergency responses and management efforts have been carried out?