In Strasbourg, opened the PACE session. Without Russia

Today, on 25 January, in Strasbourg opens winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which runs until 29 January.

The next session of the Assembly will again be held without the participation of the Russian delegation, who decided to skip it because of the loss of authority in connection with the events in Ukraine.

"The migratory crisis and the problem of refugees in Europe, international terrorism and the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland will be the focus of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe", - reported the press service of PACE.

According to the Assembly, a migratory crisis will be considered during the discussion of the report "Mediterranean: a gateway for illegal immigration" and "Organized crime and migrants." Questions to discuss international terrorism after reporting "Foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq" and "fight against international terrorism as the protection of the standards and values ​​of the Council of Europe." The parliamentarians will also discuss the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland.

In addition, the press service, during the winter session should be held presidential elections in PACE, which is elected for a term of one year with an option to extend the mandate for another term.

The draft agenda of the winter session also includes discussion of the report "The escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan" and "deliberate deprivation of water to the population of the border regions of Azerbaijan." The Assembly, inter alia, to consider the situation in Kosovo, the role of the Council of Europe and on the strengthening of the protection and the role of human rights in member states of the Council of Europe. The parliamentarians also plan to take a decision on granting the status of a partner of Jordan.

From the rostrum of the PACE are expected to address the President and the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev and Daniel Mitov, Captains Regent of San Marino Lorella Stefanelli and Nicola Renzi and the annual statement of CE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.

Earlier, PACE President Anne Brasseur said that the Russian delegation will not take part in the meetings of the Assembly in 2016, because it does not provide the necessary documents to participate in the winter session. Statement by the President of PACE was preceded by information from Moscow, where the official representative of the Russian delegation in the Assembly said that the signature of Speaker of the House of the Russian parliament sent a letter stating that the credentials of the delegation of the Russian Federation for 2016 will be requested later. January session of the Russians decided to skip because of the deprivation of its powers in relation to the events in Ukraine. Last year, the Russian delegation has repeatedly declared his refusal to participate in the PACE until the end of 2015.

Recall that in late January 2015 the Assembly adopted a resolution which reaffirmed depriving the Russian delegation of the right to vote, the right to participate in the meeting of the statutory bodies and to participate in monitoring activities of the Assembly. The reason for this decision was the situation in Ukraine.

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