"We cannot ignore any breaking of the rules and the Parliamentary Assembly in the recent past stripped the Russian delegation of the voting rights as a result of what happened. I think this also means that following the Duma elections in Russia that we, as parliamentarians, cannot accept Russian MPs representing the illegally annexed territory of Crimea," Steinmeier said at PACE.
Steinmeier added that he hoped the European Union would also make an "unambiguous joint decision" on the issue.
A PACE resolution in April 2014 deprived the Russian delegation of its voting rights, in response to Crimea's secession from Ukraine and rejoining Russia. Russian lawmakers were barred 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.
Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014, following a referendum in which more than 96 percent of the local population backed the move after a coup in Kiev in February that year.
