Ukraine believes that Russia’s return to PACE causes crisis

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsia said this during a meeting with Chairperson of the Group of the European People's Party in PACE Aleksander Pociej and Chairman of the Group of Socialists, Democrats and Greens in PACE Frank Schwabe on Tuesday evening, the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reported.

"Serhiy Kyslytsia noted that the Council of Europe needs to overcome the current crisis and restore confidence in it by overcoming the damage caused by the unconditional return of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He said that it is crucial for PACE to ensure that Russia fulfills its statutory obligations and the Assembly’s requirements, including the cessation of armed aggression against Ukraine, human rights violations in the occupied territories and de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” the statement reads.

The parties stressed that the Council of Europe should remain an authoritative source of legal standards in the field of democracy, the rule of law, human rights, social cohesion for all its members without exception.

“In this context, the Ukrainian side emphasized that it will not support any decisions that weaken the Organization’s ability to respond to violations by the member states of the principles and goals of the Council of Europe,” the Foreign Ministry added.

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