Leonid Slutsky
Concluded at Strasbourg on the June session of the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) became a triumph of anti-democracy and Russophobes, every day was marked by the manifestation of double standards and the adoption of decisions contrary to common sense, according to the Chairman of the Duma Committee on international Affairs Leonid Slutsky. His words given in the press release received by the editors”.ru” on Friday, June 30.
He noted that opponents of the current Chairman Pedro Agramunt are unable to seek his resignation, although it was stated a motion of impeachment which will put up for vote during the fall session. The reason for dissatisfaction was the recent visit of Agramunt together with the Russian deputies in Syria.
Slutsky said that such a rule contradicts both the principles of parliamentarism and the Statute of the Council of Europe and common sense. “Agramunt, on his own initiative, risking their lives went to a country where the main terrorist threat to Europe. However, this visit was judged as not in the key counter-terrorism cooperation, and in the context of a joint trip with the delegation of the state Duma, which caused a severe negative reaction from the side of the Russophobes at the Strasbourg court,” he added.
The MP said that the visit of Agramunt in Syria were not in the key counter-terrorism cooperation, and in the context of a joint trip with the delegation of the state Duma, which in turn “caused a severe negative reaction from the side of the Russophobes on the Strasbourg platform.”
Slutsky noticed that these same forces were “hacked constructive initiative” on the establishment of the political group, Free Democrats in PACE.
June 30, Russia has decided to suspend the payment of its contribution to the Council of Europe for 2017 to until in full will not be restored the credentials of the delegation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The foreign Ministry noted that Russia, in spite of everything, “continues to work in the Council of Europe, including the fulfilment of obligations under the conventions in which it participates”.
Pedro Agramunt was expelled from the faction the European people’s party on June 28. A day earlier, PACE adopted by a majority of votes a resolution changing the rules of the organization. It allows you to declare Agramunt impeachment.
The PACE President along with a delegation of Russian parliamentarians headed by Vice-speaker of the state Duma Vladimir Vasiliev visited Syria in March. Agramunt said that acted as a private citizen and not as the representative of the international organization.
Russia in PACE was deprived of the right to vote and excluded from all governing bodies in April 2014 after the annexation of Crimea.