MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Members of some delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) have admitted to having manuals on how to vote, acting head of the Russian Federal Assembly's (parliament) permanent delegation to PABSEC Olga Timofeyeva told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Thursday.

"I’m really sorry that our colleagues, lawmakers from some countries, many of whom we have known for years, tell us in private that they understand us and share our concerns but openly, say completely different things. They just go and say: you know, were have been given these little manuals and told how to vote, and we can’t help it," said Timofeyeva, who also heads the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Committee on Development of Civil Society, Public and Religious Organizations.

She also told the Izvestia daily that most of the delegations had forgotten they should represent their countries. "Still, Russia’s voice is heard here and our voice is loud enough. We will fend off all provocations. Today, we need to protect our country and refrain from giving in to provocations," Timofeyeva stressed.

She said earlier that PABSEC members had failed to approve the credentials of Russia’s delegation to the organization.

Timofeyeva told TASS in December 2022 that Russia would stop paying membership fees to PABSEC and would also weigh prospects for continued work at the organization.

A summit of parliament speakers from the Organization of the Black Sea Economic member states and the 61st PABSEC General Assembly are currently taking place in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

PABSEC brings together Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.