Ukrainian FM not to attend CoE Committee of Ministers' session because of Russia
KYIV. May 16 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has cancelled his visit to the Helsinki session of the Council of Europe (CoE)'s Committee of Ministers, the online media outlet Evropeiska Pravda said citing Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the CoE Dmytro Kuleba.
"The minister has cancelled his visit to Helsinki. This is the first time in years that Ukraine will not be represented at the ministerial level," Kuleba said.
According to the report, Klimkin refused to visit Helsinki after the CoE Committee of Ministers decided to back a draft resolution, which allows Russia to return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) through an extraordinary procedure. The decision is expected to be approved without any modification or discussion at the session in Helsinki on May 17.
Klimkin said on Wednesday that PACE member countries, which had proposed that all restrictions against Russia be lifted, must realize their connivance with undermining the Minsk Agreements.