The Russian delegation will refuse to work in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) if its powers are infringed. This was announced on Monday, January 24, by the head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, on his Telegram channel.
“After Russia’s return to PACE in 2019, this is the third attempt to challenge the authority of our delegation. I hope that the constructive will prevail this time as well. Otherwise – and this position is well known in Strasbourg – the delegation will refuse to work in PACE. We do not accept any discrimination, any sanctions or defeat in the rights of the Russian delegation,” Slutsky said.
Vice Speaker of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy also noted in his Telegram channel that the Russian delegation would refuse to participate in the PACE session in case of any infringement of their rights.
“Our position remains unchanged: any infringement of the rights of our parliamentarians will lead to the fact that we will leave the session. We are ready to work only on an equal footing, enjoying all the rights provided for by the charter of the organization,” said Tolstoy.
Debates on the issue of the powers of the Russian delegation to PACE may be held on Wednesday, January 26. RF participation in the winter session of the Assembly in a remote format.
Earlier that day, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) challenged the authority of the Russian delegation at the opening of the winter session. Two protests were filed – from Lithuanian MP Emanuelis Zingeris and Ukrainian Yevgenia Kravchuk. Zingeris’s initiative was supported by 49 session participants, and Kravchuk by 47.
Protests against Russia will be sent to the relevant committees, where they should prepare a report and a decision within 24 hours. Debates on the issue of the powers of the Russian delegation to PACE are proposed to be held on January 26, Gazeta.Ru notes.
Requests for the suspension of Russian powers are submitted regularly. Last year, on January 25, during the opening of the winter session, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Maria Mezentseva, also proposed challenging Russia’s authority, saying that it “continues to violate human rights in the occupied territories in violation of PACE resolutions.” As PACE Vice-Speaker Petr Tolstoy noted at the time, Ukraine disputes the powers of the Russian delegation every year and no longer surprises with its actions.
However, the victory remained with Russia – on January 28, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe confirmed the powers of the Russian delegation. 107 deputies voted for such a decision, 36 voted against, 24 people abstained.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
