The Russian lobbyists have begun serious work in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Chair of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, President of the PACE Committee for Culture/Media Volodymyr Ariev told journalists in the Verkhovna Rada, the press-service of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko reports.
”The last session of the PACE has been distinguished by rather negative trends regarding the attitude of the coordinating body of the Assembly, which is the Bureau, toward the restoration of powers of the Russian delegation. Obviously, the Russian lobbyists began some serious work,” he said.
Moreover, the entire Assembly opposes the return of the Russian delegation, MP said. ”However, the coordinating bodies, such as some heads of delegations and heads of political groups suddenly began to change their position, which gives me reasons to believe that the Assembly leadership had entered into negotiations with them, and not only on an ideological basis… What PACE President promised when he was elected and what he is doing now, are different things,” Ariev said.
However, according to MP, the Ukrainian delegation stands strong against any manifestations to return the Russian delegation without performing the resolution, which had been previously adopted by the Assembly. ”If it does happen, it will be the beginning of the end of the Assembly. It will lose the confidence and ability to advise to any other organization… Because no one wants the advice of organization, which does not respect its own principles, so this advice will simply be ignored,” Ariev said.
”We are now concentrating our efforts on the arguments to convince [our colleagues]… Unlike our Russian colleagues, we won`t bribe anyone,” he said.
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