Russia has no plans of returning to Council of Europe - deputy foreign minister

The Council of Europe is no longer an organization promoting the unity of European nations, so it makes no sense for Russia to return there, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview to Parlamentskaya Gazeta, published on Friday, Report informs, citing TASS.

"I would like to remind you that the Council of Europe, according to Article 1 of its Statute, was created 'to achieve a greater unity' of European nations. Western efforts turned it into something opposite. It makes no sense to return to an organization of this kind," he said.