STRASBOURG, January 27. /TASS/. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has refused to hold an urgent debate on the state of democracy in Russia, TASS reports from the assembly's session.

The majority of MPs (134) have opposed the offer made by the European Conservatives Group voiced by UK MP Ian Liddell-Grainger. 54 MPs voted in favor of holding such a debate, 21 abstained.

The PACE Bureau has approved holding urgent debates on Thursday on the issue of repatriation of underage persons from conflict zones. Thursday will also see a debate on Libya and the Middle East.