"Since my election as President, I have taken steps to re-engage dialogue with the Russian Parliament. I did so in full transparency, always involving in my discussions the leaders of our Political Groups and informing the members of the Bureau. Far too often, I have seen essential action towards dialogue being blocked by small groups," he said.
"I am convinced that a situation where one of our member states – Russia – is not present in the Assembly benefits no one: not this Assembly, not Russia, and not any of the 46 remaining member states," the PACE president stressed at the opening of the autumn plenary sitting pf the PACE in Strasbourg, France.
Russia has been absent from the PACE since the Assembly adopted a resolution in April 2014 barring its lawmakers from three key bodies – the Bureau, the Presidential Committee and the Standing Committee – over Crimea’s vote to secede from Ukraine.
Russia did not renew its credentials ahead of the Assembly’s 2016 winter session and made its return conditional on the full restoration of its delegates' voting rights.
