Russia's refusal to take part in the PACE session, which will be held on January 25-29, does not mean complete refusal to work in this organization, the speaker of Russia’s Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko said.
"By refusing to travel to Strasbourg, we are not slamming the door. The Russian parliament is ready to resume work in the PACE in the event of observing equal rights and opportunities for all national delegations, including ours," TASS cited her as saying.
Matviyenko noted that without Russian parliamentarians the assembly’s role is becoming more and more decorative. "This is seen by everybody. I hope that common sense will prevail in Strasbourg," she pointed out.
The Speaker of Russia’s State Duma Sergey Naryshkin said earlier that Moscow would not apply for participation in the January session of the PACE.
