At the meeting, Viacheslav Volodin
Vyacheslav Victorovich
The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the eighth convocation. Elected in single mandate constituency № 163 (Saratov constituency - Saratov Oblast)
reminded that on September 9, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe would consider
amendments to the regulation, but as the Chairman of the State Duma noted the amendments
do not eliminate “the orthodox approaches and norms that are applied to the activities of national delegations in the PACE”.
In this regard, Viacheslav Volodin stressed that relations between countries should be based on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, as well as non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states.
“Friendship is a two-way street, and there are principles we must follow,” said the Chairman of the State Duma.
The Russian delegation had previously been deprived of the right to vote in the PACE.
Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Binali Yıldırım, in his turn, called the PACE a ”nest of radicals“. “Unfortunately, the right proposals do not receive a response there, they have lost touch with global and regional realities,” Binali Yıldırım believes.
Viacheslav Volodin stressed that the rights of national delegations should not be violated.
“It should be understood that the countries of the Council of Europe possess equal rights and are equal,” said the Chairman of the State Duma and stated that in the Parliamentary Assembly, which consists of all 47 countries of the Council of Europe, it had become possible “to take a decision that denies a national delegation the right to vote“.
“In this connection, of course, our position is clear — we believe that statutory documents that govern and regulate the activities of the countries in the Council of Europe should also affect the Parliamentary Assembly itself,” concluded Viacheslav Volodin.
He also noted that ”it is necessary to join forces so that the parliamentary structures where we participate can maintain common attitude in upholding democratic principles and the rights of national delegations“.
