STRASBOURG (Sputnik) — Rouquet said that Russia plays a crucial role in the settlement of several issues, including Georgia, Transnistria, Karabakh and the fight against terrorism, and called to invite Russia back to PACE in 2017 before it left forever.
"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," Kox said.
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 — its bureau, presidential committee and standing committee.
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.
