European parliamentary assembly invites banned Russia to presidential committee session
Four months after its delegation was silenced at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Russia top parliamentarian said on Friday he had been invited to a meeting of the group's presidential committee in Paris in September.
"Two days ago I received an invitation from Ms. Brasseur (Anne Brasseur, PACE president) to attend a session of the PACE Presidential Committee due in Paris in early September," said State Duma lower house of parliament Speaker Sergei Naryshkin.
"I will most likely accept this invitation," he said, adding "My possible meeting with the PACE chairperson is now being discussed."
In April, following Crimea's accession to Russia, PACE deprived the Russian delegation of the right to vote at assembly sessions. Russia was removed from the group's leading posts and banned from participation in its observation missions. Following this move, Russia's delegation suspended its work in the assembly until the end of the year.
Said Naryshkin: "Of course, we are preparing concrete proposals on further co-operation with PACE and measures to ease tension in Europe".