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PACE discusses Russian delegationâ€™s mandate

02 October 2008 08:27 (UTC +04:00)

APA European bureau reports most of the parliamentarians advocated for continuation of relations between the Council of Europe and Russia and emphasized that PACE is one of the few opportunities united the Russian and Georgian officials at the same platform. British parliamentarian Michael Hancock was against the suspension of Russian delegationâ€™s mandate. He criticized the Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili. â€œWe canâ€™t achieve anything with suspension of the Russian delegationâ€™s mandate. It is not good for the Georgian and South Ossetian peoples too. Saakashvili committed war crime when he sent troops to South Ossetia and fired on the civilians. He couldnâ€™t have right political providence and acted incorrectlyâ€.
The Georgian delegate to PACE said they didnâ€™t intend to isolate Russia and demanded to observe CE norms and principles only. â€œIt is understandable to give a time to Russia, but it needs to guide this country what it has to do. Russia has to withdraw its forces from Georgia and to cancel its decision on recognition of Abkhazian and South Ossetian independenceâ€.
The resolution was adopted with 114 vote for and 20 against. The parliamentarians voted against the suspension of the Russian delegationâ€™s mandate.