Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution stressing the need to preserve Russia’s membership in the organization and urging Moscow to appoint its delegation and pay membership fees.
During the session of the Council of Europe’s parliamentary arm, broadcast live on the PACE website, a total of 105 lawmakers voted in favor of the resolution, 30 voted against and 16 abstained.
The assembly "calls on the Russian Federation, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to appoint a delegation to the Assembly and to resume obligatory payment of its contribution to the Organisation’s budget, failure of which may lead to the suspension of its representation rights in both statutory organs."
The document also calls for "intensified dialogue among all actors concerned in order to preserve the pan-European mission of the Council of Europe" and underlines the need to "avoid a situation in which the biggest member State would be asked to, or chooses to, leave the Organisation."
