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Russia lawmakers sceptical about chances for Russia’s comeback to PACE

"Russia does not yield to dictat," chief of the State Duma committee for international affairs and leader of Russia’s delegation in PACE Alexey Pushkov said

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. Russian lawmakers are sceptical about the country’s possible comeback to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

First deputy chief of parliamentary faction A Just Russia Mikhail Yemelyanov proposed to sever relations with the assembly completely and set up "a European-Russian forum, where pressing problems of our relations would be discussed."

"Russia’s position is already outlined and we will realize our capabilities through other international organizations which are less engaged in political bargaining and which have a much more consistent and well-balanced attitude to Russia’s position," Russia’s parliamentary lower house State Duma Vice-Speaker and member of Russia’s delegation in PACE Sergey Zheleznyak said.

"Russia does not yield to dictat" and "Russia’s comeback to PACE is out of question," chief of the State Duma committee for international affairs and leader of Russia’s delegation in PACE Alexey Pushkov noted. The delegation from this country "also does not plan to fulfil absurd requirements, such as to free (Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda) Savchenko within 24 hours," he added.

On January 28, PACE decided to extend sanctions against Russian delegation stripping it of the vote right and the rights to participate in organization’s governing bodies until April 2015. As many as 148 PACE members voted for this step and 64 voted against it. "We have suspended our PACE activity until the end of 2015," head of Russian delegation Alexey Pushkov said then.