MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2019) Russia is considering all options in case of failure of reaching a compromise with European bodies, Russia's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Ivan Soltanovsky told Sputnik when asked whether Russia might consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of Europe.
"We are considering all options, including from the point of view of their foreign policy consequences for both Russia and international relations on the European continent," he said.
Relations between Russia and the Council of Europe are on downward spiral. Moscow was barred from voting within PACE after Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014. The Russian delegation to PACE has not been renewing its credentials since 2016, and Moscow suspended its annual contributions to the organization in 2017.
In April, PACE adopted a resolution urging Russia to form a delegation and pay a contribution to the Council of Europe. Back then, the speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko welcomed the resolution but stressed that Russia would return to the assembly only if the organization introduced equal conditions for all delegations.
In late April, Matviyenko, held a meeting with PACE President Liliane Maury-Pasquier. The Russian official said that Moscow saw positive developments in the PACE regarding the crisis with the Russian delegation.
