MOSCOW, January 16. The delegation of the Russian Federation have not sent your roster to participate in the January session of the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
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This was reported by a source familiar with the situation.
“On Friday, January 15, according to the PACE rules of procedure expired, when national delegations are required to submit their lists to confirm powers at the first session of 2016. As far as I know, the secretariats of the delegations of the Russian Federation of those lists to send not become”, – said the Agency interlocutor.
In fact, the source explained, “this means the actual refusal to participate in the January session of the Assembly.” “But the official decision is still pending. It should be announced on Monday, 18 January, speakers of the state Duma and the Federation Council,” he said.
The failure of “logical”
Earlier, first Deputy Chairman of state Duma Committee on international Affairs, member of the Russian delegation in PACE Leonid Kalashnikov said that Russia is likely to refuse to participate in the winter session of the Assembly.
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“According to my information, is currently preparing a decree signed by the speakers of the state Duma and the Federation Council, Sergei Naryshkin and Valentina Matvienko that the delegation to Strasbourg will not go,” said Kalashnikov, adding however that the final decision “say not taken”.
The Deputy head of the Committee emphasized that in the context of discriminatory policies and sanctions pressure to PACE the refusal of participation in session, which again would have been raised about the loss of authority of the delegation, “quite logical”.
“Even if we go down there, discrimination still continues,” – said Kalashnikov.
Deprivation of powers of the Russian Federation in PACE
The PACE in April 2014, has deprived Russia of the major powers because of the events in Ukraine and the reunification of the Crimea with Russia. In 2015 the Assembly has twice considered the issue of restoration of rights of the Russian delegation, but sanctions still remain: the Russian Federation denied the right to vote and participate in the work of the governing bodies of the Assembly and its monitoring missions to observe elections in the CE space. In response, Russia said it will suspend its involvement in PACE activity until the end of 2015.
PACE winter session will be held in Strasbourg from 25 to 29 January 2016.
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