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Russia to further help Council of Europe to build united Europe

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister held meetings with top European officials

© ITAR-TASS/Mitya Aleshkovsky

MOSCOW, November 15, (ITAR-TASS) - Russia will further help the Council of Europe to build a united Europe without dividing lines, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Friday.

Representatives of 47 member-states of the organisation highly appreciated Armenia’s presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe that was handed over to Austria and discussed priorities of Austria’s presidency from November 2013 to May 2014.

“During the political discussion Meshkov has emphasized that Russia considers participation in the Council of Europe one of its foreign policy priorities and will further help strengthen the role of the Council of Europe as an important instrument in building a united Europe without dividing lines and as a backbone international organisation that ensures unity of the European legal and humanitarian space through its conventional mechanisms,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Meshkov held meetings with Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks and President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio. During these meeting pressing issues of Russia’s participation in the Council of Europe were discussed.

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