- January 28, 2015
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Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe upheld all the sanctions against the Russian delegation, introduced in response to the annexation of the Crimea and the support of separatists in eastern Ukraine. Question of the credentials will be reviewed again in April, but the Russians have already said they are leaving the PACE until the end of 2015.
The session on Wednesday evening PACE did not even returned the Russian delegation the right to vote, as proposed in the original draft resolution.
Again, Russia’s implementation of its commitments on the peace Ukrainian settlement of the conflict – and therefore the question of restoring the powers of its delegation to the PACE – will be reviewed in April.
The amendment, according to which Russia is still not returned to the right to vote, PACE Committee on the Monitoring of the Member States of their obligations CE approved Wednesday afternoon. Initially proposed to re-examine the issue in June, but during the plenary session has been amended on the amendment, according to which the PACE re-evaluate the performance of Russian Minsk Agreement in April.
In the original draft resolution was proposed to address the issue in the next June return of the Russian delegation the right to vote at meetings of the PACE, but not to return other rights taken away in the last April in connection with the annexation of the Crimea.
Gone, at least for a year
“We leave the PACE until the end of this year,” – said, coming out of the courtroom, the head of the Russian delegation Alexei Pushkov. The Russian delegation refused to participate in the PACE almost all of last year, the deprivation of its powers.
In addition to the termination of contacts with PACE, Russia threatens to quit and of the Council of Europe as a whole if sanctions PACE will not be removed.
“The question of Russia’s participation in the Council of Europe will be considered at the end of 2015, depending on the political situation that will be created” – quoted by Interfax Pushkova.
In addition to the deprivation of the right to vote, sanctions Russia to PACE include a ban on participation in the various delegations and missions of the Assembly and organizations with her mission of election observers, as well as a ban on the appointment of Russians considered the PACE rapporteurs on issues.
In an extensive memorandum prepared for discussion “Russian” question, the delegate of the Austrian Stefan Shennah states that Russia does not perform and do not have the intention to fulfill its obligations and requirements of Ukraine and Europe on a peaceful solution to the conflict does not stop, in particular military support to the separatists, not intended Russians traveling to fight in Donbass, although in accordance with articles 208 and 359 of the Criminal Code of Russia itself, and completely refuses to discuss the issue of termination of the annexation of the Crimea.
The debate about the limits of concessions
At the plenary session on Wednesday evening, delegates debated in PACE mostly not about Russia’s role in fomenting war in Ukraine, and about whether it is wise to remove from the Russian delegation at least some of the sanctions in the current situation. Some said that this can not be done, because Moscow has not implemented any of the conditions set out in April, when the imposed sanctions. Others argued that for the sake of dialogue and even the slightest chance of resolving the conflict to do Russian diplomatic concessions.
Speaker Stefan Shennah said that if PACE wants dialogue, it still needs together with Russia to compromise – but, in an attempt to stop the war remain true to the values of the Council of Europe.
The Swiss Andreas Gross, who was much criticized in Russia when he was rapporteur on Chechnya, this time called for the softening of position in relation to the Russian delegation.
“We have a unique opportunity to work together to resolve this conflict, and we must not let it slip away,” – said Gross.
However, most speakers strongly urged colleagues that sanctions against the Russian delegation can not be removed even partially.
“There is a high probability that at the end of the day the PACE will look stupid and helpless, – said the Briton Robert Walter, warning colleagues on how to return the Russians the right to vote. – The report clearly shows – nothing not changed. Military intervention continues. Why should we withdraw the sanctions ?! The Russian delegation at the same time does not show a shadow of regret for the actions of their country, but only further threatens us “.
got worse
” It looks like a mockery over the very meaning of the existence of the PACE and the Council of Europe as a whole. This is Russia decided not to engage in dialogue, not us. And now they have decided to blackmail the PACE that they leave the Council of Europe, if we do not refund them the authority, “- said the delegate of Lithuania Birute weight.
The German delegate Marieluise Beck recalled that since April, when it was imposed punishment on the Russian delegation, the situation is not only not improved – on the contrary, broke in full force war in the south-east of Ukraine. According to Beck, Russia violates all the commitments it has undertaken in all peace negotiations.
” Russians, do not threaten us! The right to vote will be returned when the situation will change for the better “, – concluded the delegate from Germany.
” Russia is trying to prove that the right of the strongest above the law. If you now turn in Ukraine – get ready to be the next! “- Warned the delegates from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe their Ukrainian counterpart George Logvinsky.
In a similar thesis speakers and delegates from Georgia, Lithuania, Poland.
On the other positions were essentially only the members of the Russian delegation and their most loyal, very few allies.
“Russia – a great power, and will not ask with an outstretched hand to extend the powers. No! We do without the work of the Council of Europe. But today we together must find a way to build on our common European home “, – said Leonid Slutsky, telling Europeans that they need to be friends with Russia. Quarreled same Europe with Russia want to” those who build a unipolar world “- hinted at the United Slutsky States (quotation is based on the reverse translation simultaneous translation – bbcrussian.com).
The delegate of France Thierry Mariani argued that sanctions, as history teaches us, do not give the desired result, and because you need to at all times establish a dialogue with Russia.
An item of Savchenko
In the adopted PACE resolution on Wednesday a separate paragraph is devoted to Ukrainian lёtchitse Hope Savchenko. PACE calls on Russia to immediately – within days – free Savchenko and give it to Ukraine or to a third party.
Savchenko in October, while in a Russian prison, was elected Member of Parliament of Ukraine and included in the Ukrainian delegation to PACE. This week PACE adopted its mandate. This, according to the documents of the Council of Europe, gives her immunity from arrest.
Russian delegates argued that exempt Savchenko Russia should not, because it was elected after his arrest.
The head of the Russian delegation Alexei Pushkov said that the delegation “is ready to appeal to Russian authorities to “admit to Savchenko in pre-trial detention of members of PACE. After the vote Pushkov changed his mind.
” PACE decision to suspend the right of the Russian delegation to vote and participate in the governing bodies of the Assembly of the Russian Federation takes an offer to visit the members of the PACE Ukrainian pilots Hope Savchenko, accused of aiding and abetting murder and located in the Russian jail “- quoted by Interfax Pushkova.
Trade subject
In the Russian and European press in recent days there were suggestions that Russia wants to informally exchange release Savchenko on the lifting of sanctions in PACE.
“Of course, the decision is made not the Russian delegation to PACE, and Putin. Exodus by Savchenko not a foregone conclusion. We have to wait an official response, “- wrote in the” Twitter “lawyer Mark Feigin Ukrainian vertolёtchitsy.
A total dark and intense – because the essence of the subject matter – the situation at the evening session, something happened that made laugh once.
When started voting on amendments to the resolution, one of the Russian delegates protested that he did not work the machine in order to vote.
“I am far from the assumption that this is intentional. .. “- as usual began to talk about the delegate” anti-Russian conspiracy “, but he immediately recalled that it was done intentionally: Russian delegation in fact deprived of the right to vote, which the issue is discussed.
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