MOSCOW (Sputnik) Daria Chernyshova – On Thursday, Russian lower house speaker Sergei Naryshkin said he did not rule out Russia’s non-participation in January PACE Meeting.
"Russian Federation will be also 2016 member of the Council of Europe, but they will not take part by the Parliamentary Assembly – it’s my feeling, but I think, that will [be] the policy," Schennach said.
According to the official, if the Russian parliament does not send its credentials to the Council of Europe, they would not be discussed during the upcoming PACE session.
In April 2014, following Crimea’s reunification with Russia, PACE banned the Russian delegation from voting and participating in the work of PACE governing bodies until the end of 2014. In 2015, the ban was extended for another year.
A reconfirmation of the delegation's credentials in PACE traditionally takes place during the January winter session.
