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Russia not to leave PACE

MEAUX, April 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia has no intention to leave the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said on Monday, April 14.

Russia regards the Council of Europe and the PACE as “important platform for discussion”, he said.

Naryshkin said Russia would watch the PACE activities closely.

He said Russia was disappointed by the PACE decision to silence its delegation until the end of the year but would continue dialogue with this European organization and has no intention to withdraw from it.

Having adopted the sanctions against Russia, the PACE “has isolated itself from dialogue”, the speaker said and called it “a cowardly position” indicating that European parliamentarians “are afraid of hearing our arguments”. However, Russia “is ready for dialogue, is seeking it and is not afraid of defending its point of view”, he said.

Naryshkin recalled the principles set out in the PACE Charter - Europe free of dividing lines. “We would like this organisation to do what it is intended do,” he added.