PACE Head Says Intends to Continue Contacts With Russia

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President's Pedro Agramunt said Thursday that he intends to promote contacts with Russia.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Pedro Agramunt said Thursday that he intends to continue contacts with Russia.

The statement comes after Agramunt met with parliamentary speakers Valentina Matvienko and Sergei Naryshkin. According to the PACE head, “both sides were focused on finding solutions.”

"We will continue our contacts," Argamunt told RIA Novosti.

According to him, the sides plan to meet again in the near future “to resolve outstanding issues."

"I will probably participate in the Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Moscow in June," the PACE head added.

The PACE head also expressed hope that the Russian side would take part in the upcoming conference of the heads of European parliaments, that is set to be held in Strasbourg in September.

Agramunt is currently taking part in the session of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Interparliamentary Assembly in Russia’s St. Petersburg.

Russia has repeatedly stressed that its delegation will not return to PACE as long as the April 2014 resolution imposing sanctions on the Moscow delegation following Crimea’s reunification with Russia remains in force. Under the resolution, Russian lawmakers were barred from participating in PACE's three key bodies — its bureau, presidential committee and standing committee.