STRASBOURG (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova – Russia’s contribution to the international fight against terrorism is substantial, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Pedro Agramunt told Sputnik.
"Russia is making a substantial contribution to the fight against international terrorism. We share the same position and, of course, the contribution of Russian parliamentarians is very important for us," Agramunt said, stressing that the threat of terrorism must be addressed with "unity and resolve" since "every voice [and] every action counts."
Agramunt emphasized that terrorism is a fundamental danger that threatens the lives of all Europeans and can only be defeated through cooperation.
"Counteracting international terrorism, radicalization and its root causes is going to be one of the priority issues I am going to focus [on] within the framework of my mandate," he said.
Moscow’s call for more cooperation in the fight against terrorism came amid the advance of the Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist group (banned in Russia) in Iraq and Syria. Daesh militants and their affiliates have also staged several major terrorist attacks in various parts of the world, including the November 13, 2015 terror acts in Paris.
Russia has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Syria since September 2015, at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
New PACE President Set to Find Ways to Resume Cooperation With Russia
A PACE resolution in April 2014 deprived the Russian delegation of its voting rights, after Crimea became a part of Russia. Russian lawmakers were barred from participating in PACE's three key bodies — its bureau, presidential committee and standing committee. The 2014 resolution curbing Russia’s rights in the Assembly was prolonged a year later.
"Russia is Europe and a member state of our organisation. I strongly believe that as Europeans we must solve our problems together," Agramunt, a Spanish lawmaker who was elected the new PACE president earlier this month, said.
Agramunt stressed that the fact that Russia did not appoint a delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly 2016 ordinary session does not mean that cooperation with Russia should stop.
"There are many issues we have to discuss; there is a number of problems we have to solve together," Agramunt said, adding that dialogue with Russia is important and "the Council of Europe is an appropriate forum for such dialogue."
Last week, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament Sergei Naryshkin said that Russia would not participate in the upcoming winter PACE session and would not present its credentials for renewal.
The decision also means Russia's credentials cannot be challenged in the body, which had previously imposed sanctions on the work of the Moscow delegates.
