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PACE delegation to come to Moscow on Feb 7 on fact-finding mission

The mission head added that he put down the trip to Moscow in his schedule

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, January 21 (Itar-Tass) — A PACE delegation will come to Moscow on February 7 on a fact-finding mission for monitoring the presidential elections, said on Saturday mission head European parliament member Tiny Kox, speaking at a news conference in Moscow.

He said that the mission has already received an official invitation. The preliminary mission led by Kox will come already on next February 7.

Then the arrival of a group of 30 European parliament members is planned, he continued.

He explained that the final decision on sending observers for the Russian presidential elections will be taken by the PACE Bureau.

The mission head added that he put down the trip to Moscow in his schedule.

Kox noted also that in his opinion, the CEC system needs reforming. He stressed that they were said repeatedly during the parliamentary elections that there is not enough trust in the Russian CEC and trust should be restored.

According to the European parliament legislator, the mission heard in Moscow from people a number of ideas, including establishment of an institute of an independent arbiter.

The mission head informed of a meeting with CEC chairman Vladimir Churov, where this idea was voiced. This was no shock for him, Kox went on to say. Churov spelled out in detail his viewpoint to the observers on this topic, Kox concluded.

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