"We had a constructive discussion on a wide range of issues including the relations of the Russian parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly as well as a possible reform of the Assembly rules and procedures," Agramunt said during a press conference after the meeting with Naryshkin.
Russian lawmakers are currently barred from PACE after being suspended over the crisis in Russian-European relations that followed Crimea rejoining Russia.
Earlier in the day, Naryshkin said that Russia was ready to restore full-format cooperation with PACE on a basis of equality. In June, Naryshkin ruled out PACE’s participation in the Russian parliamentary elections on September 18 after the deprivation of the Russian PACE delegation of its rights to vote.
"We would like to thank the speaker, Mr. Naryshkin, and our Russian colleagues for sharing with us the analysis that is very important for us, because [it is] in relation to a number of valid points, reform of the monitoring procedure of the Assembly, ways to increase the participation of members and the voting in the Assembly that increases the legitimacy of our decisions," Agramunt said.
In April 2014, PACE adopted a resolution which barred Russian lawmakers 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.
