After an ample discussion, the committee agreed to hold the participation abeyant until the Russian Federation implements a number of conditions regarding hostages, Ukrainian soldiers and Crimean Tatars. The participation will in fact be suspended until the Venice Commission’s decision on the powers of the delegates from the Russian State Duma, who were elected there in the occupied Crimea.
Ukraine’s deputies shall resume their work only after Russia implements in full the main clauses of the PACE resolutions, which are within the entire competence of the Council of Europe as an organization responsible for human rights, and namely: an unconditional release of the seamen and political prisoners detained, and provision of the Crimean Tatars’ rights in the annexed Crimea.
The committee also recommends that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Chairman withdraw the invitation of PACE to participate in election observation in Ukraine and to refuse to attend the PACE conference of parliamentary chairmen in September and to hold additional consultations with chairmen of parliaments of those member states of the Council of Europe, who took a common stand with Ukraine on the issue.
The Committee recommends that the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs not accept the candidacy of a new head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine prior to consultations with the newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe and send an appeal to the member countries of the Council of Europe not to accept the powers of those Russian delegates, who are subject to EU sanctions.
Among the recommendations, there is also the need to send out an appeal for further observance of the Council of Europe’s values.
This decision was approved by the committeemen unanimously.