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PACE Rejects Amendment Urging to Strip Russian Delegation of Rights

STRASBOURG (Sputnik) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decided that an amendment against restoring the rights of the Russian delegation was unacceptable.
Sputnik

PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier said that the amendment could not be taken into consideration as it completely changed the text of the document.

Another amendment that similarly wanted to strip the Russian delegation of its rights was rejected in a vote.

The amendments were submitted by lawmakers from Ukraine and Baltic countries, according to a document obtained by Sputnik.

Earlier this week, PACE officially invited the Russian delegation to participate in its June session, though the possibility of challenging the Russian delegation's credentials remained in place. PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier said that the Russian delegation would be able to participate in the work of the assembly even after some PACE members challenged the delegation's credentials.

For its part, the Kremlin hailed PACE's invitation as a positive thing and a victory of common sense. Ukraine, which advocated for Russia's ban in the assembly, however, decided to recall its envoy to the Council of Europe following PACE's decision.

Russia was barred from voting in PACE after Crimea's reunification with the country in 2014. The Russian delegation to PACE has not been renewing its credentials since 2016, and Moscow suspended its annual contributions to the Council of Europe in 2017.

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