Voici le texte intégral de la lettre adressée au FMI et à la commission européenne:
To the International Monetary Fund
To the European Commission
From the Movement in Defense of the Khimki Forest (Russian Federation)
Ladies and gentlemen!
We learned that after the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn heading the International Monetary Fund, French Minister of Economy and Finance, Christine Lagarde, emerged as the main candidate for this vacancy. Voting for a new head of the IMF should take place before June 30, 2011.
We would like you to know that in our view, Christine Lagarde is an unacceptable candidate for such an important position due to following reasons.
It was Lagarde in June 2009, who actively promoted the signing of an agreement between the French construction company Vinci and the Russian government about the French company’s participation in the construction of a section of the toll motorway Moscow – St. Petersburg 15 – 58 km across the Khimki Forest (and several other forests).
Investigations show that this project is a pure corruption affair of French company Vinci and dishonest Russian officials. As a result, money transfers from the Russian federal budget and state-controlled banks to offshore havens of Lebanon, Cyprus and British Virgin Islands (►http://bankwatch.org/documents/Vinci_oligarchs_taxhavens_Khimki.pdf). And independent expertise of Russian scientists (►http://ecmo.ru/data/April2011/expert_examination_en.pdf) proved that among 11 possible routing options the worst one was chosen. The motorway construction through the Khimki forest does not only violate federal environmental legislation of Russia and destroy the unique ecosystem of Khimki Forest, it won’t solve the existing transport problem. This construction will harm at least 1 million of people, who receive oxygen from Khimki Forest, and will only serve the enrichment of a small group of high-ranking Russian officials and their privileged business partners.
The project has already led to massive violations of human rights: severe beating, detainment and attempts to forge criminal charges against people defending the forest. Among the victims are also journalists.
At the time, when Christine Lagarde backed the project (June 2009), one of the most active Khimki Forest defenders, journalist Mikhail Beketov, was already beaten by ‘unknown’ thugs and became totally disabled for the rest of his life. After this attack his comrades organized a demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Moscow, requesting France to quit the project.
It’s hard to believe that Christine Lagarde didn’t know anything about this story. Probably the benefit from the deal outweighed any concerns about its impropriety?
There are even more facts about dubious non-transparent agreements between Christine Lagarde and the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
We believe that a person suspected in corruption affairs, openly violating legislation and human rights, shouldn’t become the head of the International Monetary Fund.
We request to recall the candidature of Christine Lagarde and don’t let her take part in the election of the International Monetary Fund director.
With respect,
Movement in Defense of the Khimki Forest, www.ecmo.ru , khimkiforest.org
