Pushkov urges not to overestimate importance of PACE's anti-Russian resolution
MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - The head of the Duma Committee on International Affairs, Alexei Pushkov, has said one should not overestimate the importance of a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in which it talks about Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
"This resolution is fairly unimportant since it failed to gain support among a significant number of the members, it was debated in what was practically an empty room, with 48 people voting for it, and brings absolutely nothing new in the PACE's existing assessments of Russian actions," Pushkov told reporters on Friday.
He said that during yesterday's vote on the resolution there was not even a seventh of all PACE members in the session room.
"I would not overestimate the importance of this resolution in which Russia is accused of aggression against Ukraine," the committee head said.
This sort of accusations were also brought against Russia earlier and were contained in other resolutions in one form or another, he said.
In his view, the fact that less than 50 people voted for the resolution devalues this document. "It simply shows that in reality this document is a mere formality that raised no major interest, nor any significant desire to take part in this historical process," Pushkov said.
State Duma is not yet planning to pass any document in response to the resolutions of the PACE's June session because essentially nothing has changed and the Assembly has only confirmed the negative status quo in the relationship with Russia.