MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. No decision has been made whether Russia’s delegation will take part in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev said on Monday.
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"There is no decision so far. We will resume our participation on condition of full return and confirmation of our powers," Kosachev said at the committee’s session.
The senator recalled that the Assembly is holding discussions on the issue of returning the powers to the Russian delegation. The final decision of resuming Russia’s participation in PACE will be taken by the speakers of both houses of parliament, he said.
Russia’s delegation at PACE was deprived of its key rights in April 2014 over developments in Ukraine and Crimea’s reunification with Russia. In 2015, PACE voted twice on a possibility of restoring the Russian delegation’s powers but the restrictions remain in force. Russia is stripped of the right to vote and take part in the PACE governing bodies and its monitoring activities.
Owing to these restrictions, the Russian delegation suspended its participation in the PACE work until late 2015. The leadership of the Russian delegation has repeatedly said it would return to PACE only if all the sanctions were lifted. In January 2016, Russia refused to bid for confirming its powers this year.