​State Duma Speaker does not exclude Russia's withdrawal from the CoE

Baku. 22 January. REPORT.AZ/ Russia intends to raise the question of its membership in the Council of Europe (CoE) in the case of another deprivation of their right to vote in 2015 in PACE. Report informs, this was stated by the State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin in his interview with Kommersant newspaper.

"We appreciate the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, primarily as a broad international platform for an open dialogue on topical issues. However, if we are unable to maintain this open dialogue, then why should we still appreciate this organization? Therefore, the arisen question is to suspend our work in PACE at least for a year. And if the decision is not changed this year, then we will raise the question of Russia's membership in the Council of Europe", said Mr. Naryshkin.

At the same time, the State Duma speaker said that Russia does not intend to refuse to pay the membership fee in the Council of Europe, recalling that this payment is made in advance.