PACE session begins in Strasbourg

PACE spring session, where Russia can  be deprived of the  right to vote or to suspend its powers in the Assembly, opened in Strasbourg on Monday.

In connection with the Russian aggression against Ukraine PACE  put forward initiatives - the deprivation  Russia of the right to vote (Dane Michael Aastrup Jensen) and the termination of its mandate in the Assembly (Briton Robert Walter.)

Today the PACE Monitoring Committee will appoint a rapporteur who will prepare a report on the basis of which the adoption of sanctions is possible. In addition, a special debate on the situation in Ukraine, which is scheduled for Thursday, has been planned. The question on sanctions will be solved on the same day.

According to the head of the Russian delegation to the PACE, Alexander Pushkov, if it becomes clear that Russia will be deprived  of power in PACE, then the delegation of the Russian Federation itself will announce its withdrawal from PACE. If the Russian delegation  is deprived of  voting rights, Russia will not resign.

At the last session  the Azerbaijani delegation voted against imposing sanctions against Russia. This time the Russian delegation will also look for allies in order to avoid the imposition of sanctions against Moscow.  -02D-