Russian delegation sees no certain steps forward from PACE leadership for now
MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - The initiative of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Chairperson Anne Brasseur to restore authority of Russian parliamentarians could be a real confirmation of the Assembly's wish to return the Russian delegation to Strasbourg, representatives of the Russian delegation to PACE said.
"Today she [Brasseur] could be the first to sign some motion urging the Parliamentary Assembly to reconsider the discriminating decision made earlier regarding the Russian delegation - debarring it from voting and possibility to work in PACE governing bodies - so that this motion is supported by a significant number of Assembly members," first deputy head of the Russian delegation, head of the State Duma committee for CIS affairs Leonid Slutsky said at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday in the framework of the third international parliamentary forum.
If Brasseur comes up with this initiative, of course, the Federation Council delegation will consider the possibility to return to work in PACE and will do so most probably, Slutsky said. This issue might be considered at the fall PACE session, he said.
For now only rhetoric - groundless appeals to Russian deputies to resume dialogue with the Assembly - comes from PACE leaders, Slutsky said. "If this rhetoric becomes more concrete and appropriately formalized, changing the situation in regard to our communication with the Parliamentary Assembly could be discussed," he said.
At the same time, this rhetoric "has moved a bit towards constructiveness," he said.
It is hoped that in 2015 the Russian delegation will resume its work in PACE comprehensively and "without any sanction measures regarding Russia," delegation head, State Duma international affairs committee head Alexei Pushkov said. For now, Moscow does not see any significant changes at the level of PACE heads, formalized in statements for instance, Pushkov said.