Ukraine will not take part in the next session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), because Kiev believes that the organization had violated its principles when decided to bring back Russia's membership, Bogdan Yaremenko, a member of the ruling Servant of the People party, said on Saturday
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2019) Ukraine will not take part in the next session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), because Kiev believes that the organization had violated its principles when decided to bring back Russia's membership, Bogdan Yaremenko, a member of the ruling Servant of the People party, said on Saturday.The PACE autumn session will take place in Strasbourg from September 30 to October 4.
"Having no other opportunity to respond to violations by this organization of its own principles and facing a rather frank disregard for its interests, Ukraine will refrain from sending its delegation to the next PACE session," Yaremenko said on Facebook.
According to the lawmaker, Ukraine will instead focus on preparing a delegation and holding consultations with other member states of the Council of Europe "with the aim to develop a plan to restore confidence in PACE."
"This approach was supported by the vast majority of factions of the Ukrainian parliament," he added.
According to Oleksiy Honcharenko, the lawmaker from the European Solidarity faction, representatives of the previous parliamentary delegation to PACE, who have been included in its new composition, are planning to attend the PACE session at their own initiative.
Earlier in the year, PACE decided to restore the rights of the Russian delegation, suspended since 2014 over the Ukrainian crisis and Crimea referendum.
