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PM warns using Council of Europe to put pressure on Russia 'one-way ticket'

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. In an article published on Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said other states’ attempts to use the Council of Europe as an instrument of putting pressure on Russia were "a one-way ticket."

"Using structures of the Council of Europe and other international organizations as instruments of putting pressure on Russia is a one-way ticket. This path will lead to erosion and eventual collapse of the entire fragile system of cooperation and security on the continent, which emerged when the Berlin wall fell down," the premier wrote in his article, devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Russian constitution.

"The responsibility for weakening the system, which has been preventing the world from a major war for almost 75 years, will be placed on those who are trying to create the atmosphere of mistrust and fear, and who believe that economic superiority allows them to impose their will upon others," reads the article, headlined "25 years of the Constitution: balance between freedom and responsibility.

"Only during the last century, the desire to establish dominance by all means brought Europe to the brink of a catastrophe twice," Medvedev said.

"The European Convention, adopted in 1950, became a reaction of the people of Europe to the horrors of World War II, and the slogan of its authors - Never again! - has become almost forgotten, but nowadays it is as relevant as never before," the head of the Russian government continued.

The Russian prime minister said that year 2018 marks not only the 25th anniversary of the Russian constitution, but also the 20th anniversary of Russia’s membership in the Council of Europe.

"The decision to join the Council of Europe was not made by chance, it was predetermined by the very logic of the country’s main legal document," he went on.

"Throughout these years, we have made a long journey to embed the modern principles of democracy and the rule of law," Medvedev continued. "This dialogue was particularly fruitful in the years that followed the adoption of the new constitution and Russia’s accession to the Council of Europe."

"However, a dialogue can only be productive when it is free of political bias, double standards and baseless accusations," he added.

"The government must respect the rights of its citizens regardless of its membership in this or that international organization or a convention," Medvedev said. "Our devotion to the founding principles of the Constitution gives us grounds to believe that Russia will never again become an arena of violent civilian conflicts, mass repressions, death and humiliation of millions of people, totalitarianism and cruel social experiments."