The chairman of the Unified European Left Group Tiny Kox expressed hope that Russian delegation will return to the work of the assembly in 2017.
"We hope that after legislative Duma elections, the Russian parliament will submit its credentials. And hopefully we will approve them, and all the Council of Europe member states will be represented here," Sputnik cited Kox as saying.
A PACE resolution in April 2014 deprived the Russian delegation of its voting rights, in response to Crimea rejoining Russia. Russian lawmakers were barred from participating in PACE's three key bodies. Russia did not renew its credentials ahead of the Parliamentary Assembly’s 2016 winter session and made its return conditional to the restoration of its delegates' rights to vote and participate in PACE institutions.
