The decision on participation of the Russian delegation in the regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be taken by January 21.
“All these
things happening now are mistakes that have big background. The issue appeared
long ago. Even in the 1990s, they took a destructive position when there was a real war against international terrorism in the North Caucasus. This is not
just a deprivation of the right to vote or speak,” First Deputy Head of the United Russia faction, a member of The Committee on Security and Corruption
Control Adalbi Shkhagoshev
Adalby Lyulevich
said.
The parliamentarian stressed that even if democracy in Russia is quite young, the country now teaches the European Union and the Parliamentary Assembly the lesson what real political relations mean.
“If there is no sincerity in those relations, then we will not participate in it. But if they are ready to cooperate, then we will show and prove every day that we are also ready to cooperate within the framework of international law,” Adalbi Shkhagoshev concluded.
On January 9, Deputy
Chairman of the State Duma Petr Tolstoy
Petr Olegovich
and Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutskiy
Leonid Eduardovich
said that during the week the parliamentarians
would hold consultations and then they would take a decision by January 21
whether the Russian delegation would take part in the next PACE session. At the same time, members of the State Duma recalled that the situation when the Russian delegation is deprived of the right to vote is unacceptable.
“The regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe starts on January 21, the State Duma received a letter from the PACE Secretary with a proposal to form a delegation. This issue was discussed in detail at the meeting of the Council of the State Duma, all members of the Council, representatives of all factions agreed that it is necessary to hold consultations again and state the Parliament’s position on our further participation in this organization within a week, ” Petr Tolstoy said.
