Third Committee of the UN General Assembly Adopted a Russian Draft Resolution Aimed Against Neo-Nazis

Roman Shukhevich (1907-50), a thief, terrorist, and three-time murderer. He collaborated with the Nazis (he was a Stürmbannführer in the SS), and bandits under his command murdered at least 100,000 Poles, not to mention Jews, Magyars, Roma (Gypsies), and Orthodox Carpatho-Russian Russophiles. He is the hero of the Galician Uniates. Reflect well on that… they glorify an amoral and nihilistic monster. May God see and judge.

On Tuesday, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted a Russian-tabled draft resolution on the inadmissibility of certain practises that help to fuel contemporary outbursts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. A total of 122 delegations voted for the draft document, 54 countries abstained, and only the US representatives voted against it. The resolution emphasises the need to condemn propaganda and organisations based on ideas of racial superiority or any attempt to justify or encourage racial hatred or discrimination. Such attempts help to promote the spread and multiply various extremist political parties, movements, and groups, including neo-Nazis and skinheads, the resolution stated.

Commenting on the need to approve the draft, Grigory Lukyantsev, a Russian representative to the UN, drew attention to the fact that “monuments to the Nazis are solemnly unveiled in certain countries, and the dates of their liberation from Nazi oppression are announced as days of mourning”, whilst those who oppose the whitewashing of the historical record to eliminate the memory of the soldiers who fought against the Nazis during World War II are thrown into gaol. “In our view, it is totally inadmissible to glorify those who are involved in Nazi crimes, including whitewashing former SS members, including Waffen-SS units, for it was recognised as a criminal organisation by the Nürnberg Tribunal”, Mr Lukyantsev said, in a clear reference to the former Soviet Baltic states.

Recently, Moscow publicly accused Latvia and Estonia of officially lionising their Nazi lickspittles and cancelled a planned visit to Moscow by Latvian President Valdis Zatlers. The Latvian government said that Russia is exaggerating the whole issue, and said that Russia ignored the fact that, during World War II, many Latvians sided with the German Nazis and about as many fought in the ranks of the Red Army. All this means that what they are now doing now should not be seen as glorification of Nazism, but, only an attempt to reach a “national compromise”.

Russia levelled the same accusation at the Ukrainian government, which made the anniversary of their pro-Nazi nationalist army and of its commander, Roman Shukhevich, something like a national holiday. Explaining his decision to vote “no” on the draft resolution, the US representative said that whilst he “shared the repugnance” at any attempt to glorify Nazi ideology, he still believed that freedom of expression must be protected. Ukraine, Georgia, Moldavia, and 51 other countries abstained, but, after the vote, the Ukrainian representative said that neo-Stalinism also promoted dangerous levels of anti-Semitism and racial intolerance, and failure to include it in the draft resolution was the reason behind his delegation’s abstention.

21 November 2008

David Brian

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=35381&cid=87&p=21.11.2008

Russian Automakers Lend Detroit a Hand

Chevrolet Lacetti, to be built in Russian assembly plants. Is GM as penurious as it claims? Congress had best factor in foreign profits before giving them a dime.

The Big Three US automakers failed in their public performance on Capitol Hill, but, they nevertheless got another chance. But, while they kept flying to Washington last week with a tin cup in hand begging for a 25 billion dollar (681.248 billion roubles. 19.195 billion euros. 16.243 billion UK pounds) subsidy to stay afloat, GM in Russia launched a new assembly unit to roll out economy-class cars. Last Friday, GM ceremoniously launched a new assembly-line at a functioning factory in the Kaliningrad oblast enclave in western Russia. It will roll out up to 30,000 units of Chevrolet Lacetti cars, one of the best-selling foreign brands in Russia. GM invested 80 million euros (2.839 billion roubles. 104.194 million USD. 67.695 million UK pounds) into this venture and the money was set aside earlier this year, long before the current turmoil hit the US auto industry. It looks like the US auto industry might be in dire financial straits back home, whilst, at the same time, it is expanding its business overseas, specifically, in Russia.

In particular, it looks like GM is trying to compensate for slumping sales in Western Europe and North America by opening outlets elsewhere, in places where American cars can sell better. General Motors’ assembly-line in western Russia that was launched last week follows the opening of another facility in this country, a 300 million dollar (8.174 billion roubles. 230.25 million euros. 194.64 million UK pounds) factory, also in western Russia. The plant in the Shushary district on the outskirts of St Petersburg will produce 70,000 Chevrolet Captiva sport-utility vehicles and the Opel Astra, with plans to manufacture the Chevrolet Cruze compact car next year. Earlier this month, Carl-Peter Forster, GM’s chief for Europe, told reporters during the plant’s opening ceremony that the company’s strategy “is to become the leading manufacturer in Russia”. He added, “For us, Russia is not an emerging market. Russia emerged long ago”. President Medvedev greeted the opening of the GM plant in Russia and said the new plant “is an example of a good investment project that’s oriented toward the future”, and he called on GM to boost output at the plant.

GM is not the only foreign car manufacturer in Russia, but, it seems to have done particularly well in recent years, judging from the number of cars it sold here. GM follows five other foreign automakers with plants near St Petersburg. Toyota Motor Corporation, the world’s second-largest automaker, and Ford operate assembly factories near Russia’s second-biggest city. Nissan Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, and Suzuki Motor Corporation are building facilities in the area as well. But, according to Herr Forster of GM Europe, Russia will become GM’s biggest car market in Europe in 2009. It has already boosted its market share in Russia this year to almost 11 percent from 6.5 percent in 2006. The Chevrolet Lacetti is Russia’s second-best-selling foreign-brand car after the Ford Focus.

24 November 2008

Yuri Reshetnikov

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=35494&cid=87&p=24.11.2008