MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Common sense has prevailed in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe where for the first time over the past five years the aggressive anti-Russian minority has failed to impose its viewpoint, Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page, commenting on a resolution enabling Russian legislators to return to PACE and take part in the summer session.
"Tonight, the first and a very important result has been achieved in Strasbourg. Perhaps, the aggressive and well-mobilized minority, which is no stranger to twisting facts and sometimes a blatant lie, has failed to impose on PACE its "only right viewpoint." Common sense has prevailed in the Assembly as well as the understanding of the responsibility for the fate of the entire organization, rather than its "armed wing," and, if you want, the feeling of political self-preservation," said Kosachev, who chairs the Russian Federation Council’s (upper house) Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Russian delegation is ready to return to PACE for the sake of the truth, Kosachev stressed. "This platform cannot be left at the mercy of Russophobes, who dream about kicking Russia out of Europe," he went on to say.
On Tuesday, PACE is expected to announce the terms for a possible return of the Russian delegation to the Assembly, Kosachev noted. "It will be no less hot. Just like the day before, this will be again a clash of Europeans with Russophobes. This is exactly the same way. Russia is together with Europeans. I wish the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly only victory," Kosachev said.
According to the senator, the first day of the June session in PACE will become history because of several records. The discussion on the issue of improving the decision-making process of the Assembly concerning credentials and voting involved nearly 70 deputies and more than 220 amendments were considered. "But the key feature of the discussion was the unprecedented polarization of opinions and the emotionally charged atmosphere. Although the report did not mention any country, it was reduced to discussing the issue of Russia and whether it should be in PACE or not," he said.
The senator also voiced concerns that although Moscow was satisfied by the result of the vote, it is alarming that Russia’s opponents in the Assembly again "tried to throw mud at Russia, accusing it of all possible and impossible breaches of "European values."
Earlier, PACE approved the resolution of Belgian representative Petra De Sutter that will allow the Russian delegation to take part in the Assembly's June session. The resolution was supported by 118 members, 62 people voted against it, and 10 people abstained. PACE decided that its members’ "rights to vote, to speak and to be represented in the Assembly and its bodies shall not be suspended or withdrawn in the context of a challenge to or reconsideration of credentials". The Assembly also agreed on inviting the parliaments of Council of Europe member States "which are not represented by a delegation to the Assembly" (Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) to present their credentials at the June 2019 part-session.