Council of Europe could partially refund Russia's PACE membership fee for 2014 - Zyuganov
PARIS. April 14 (Interfax) - Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov believes the Council of Europe could partially refund Russia's membership fee in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) because PACE has deprived the Russian delegation of its right to vote and participate in administrative structures and electoral missions until the end of this year.
"Generally, they could give us a refund for the second half of this year. We could use this money to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Crimea [from fascist invaders]," Zyuganov told reporters in Paris on Monday at an event devoted to the 60th anniversary of the USSR's entry in UNESCO.
Zyuganov called the PACE sanctions against the Russian delegation and some Russian leaders, journalists, and businessmen "nonsense that has no justification."
However, Zyuganov said "there is no need to slam the door" because that will not resolve the problem.
"I am for a dialogue," he said.
Russia pays PACE 23 million euro annually.
Zyuganov also believes that in this situation "we need to say directly: if they are treating the country and their colleagues, parliamentarians, in this way, it means that Europe is following the path that lead to fascism and a world war in the 1930s."
Zyuganov said he is hoping that even those people who now support "the illegal junta that has taken power in Kyiv" will understand that they were wrong at some point.
"I think many people will cool down and they will be ashamed," he said.
