25 June 2019, Tuesday, 17:40 167

Ukrainian PACE Delegation Asking Rada To Consider Termination Of Delegation’s Work At Assembly

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

The Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is asking the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to consider termination of its further participation in the work with the Assembly.

Member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction / deputy chairperson of the faction / member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, Oleksii Honcharenko, has written this on Facebook, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

Besides, the Ukrainian delegation is calling on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine to urgently develop Ukraine's position as for the state's participation in the Council of Europe's work.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Chairperson / member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Iryna Heraschenko, says that the Ukrainian delegation has left the session hall of the Assembly until Thursday.

She also noted that six out of eleven members of the Russian delegation voted for military invasion and annexation of Crimea.

Besides, Heraschenko noted that the Russian delegation had nominated Leonid Slutsky, who had visited the occupied territories several times, to the post of the vice president of the Assembly.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his disappointment with the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to reinstate authorities of the Russian delegation.

Zelenskyy said he had tried to assure President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, not to reinstate the Russian Federation at PACE.

The President of Ukraine thanked the Ukrainian delegation for its fight against the said decision.

Besides, Zelenskyy said he was expecting supporters of the Russia's return to PACE to demand return of Ukrainian navy sailors held hostage in Russia.

Representatives of the Ukrainian and Georgian delegations have challenged the authorities of the Russian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

In compliance with the PACE rules, support of 30 members from five countries was necessary to challenge the Russian delegation’s authorities.

The rules also state that a list of restrictions on the Russian delegation’s authorities will be made and later voted.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine considers inadmissible the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to reinstate rights of the Russian Federation’s delegation at the Assembly.

According to the report, the Foreign Ministry also believes that the decision made by PACE is evidence of a deviation from the declared standards, principles and values of the Council of Europe as a result of pressure and financial blackmail on the part of Russia.

PACE has reinstated rights of the Russian Federation at the Assembly.

According to the report, respective decision was backed by 118 assembly members, 62 voted against and 10 abstained.

According to the report, the committee of ministers also supported the proposal to create a “joint response procedure” when a member state violates its statutory obligations or fails to comply with the basic principles and values advocated by the Council of Europe.

According to the proposal, such a procedure can be initiated by the Assembly, the committee of ministers or Secretary General, and everyone will be required to participate in a step-by-step process that may lead to suspension of the state’s work in the Assembly.

Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Chairperson, Iryna Heraschenko, states that the Ukrainian delegation to the PACE has not obtained any support from the Presidential Administration.

Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, considers that Ukraine will take tough consolidated measures if the Russian delegation is reinstated in the PACE.

During her speech at the House of Commons, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, said she supported lifting of the sanctions from the Russian Federation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

During the debates, one of the members of parliament asked the prime minister if possible return of the Russian delegation to PACE worried her while Russia continues Crimea's occupation.

The Prime Minister said that Britain was not recognizing unlawful annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Besides, the Ukrainian Embassy notes that possible return of the Russian Federation to PACE would not help ordinary Russian citizens as Russian President Vladimir Putin does not respect the supremacy of law and that before returning to PACE Russia must show its respect to European values and the supremacy of law in the first place.

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