Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly cannot exchange its values for money - Libina-Egnere

RIGA - The head of the Latvian delegation to the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Inese Libina-Egnere (New Unity), commenting the organization's decision to restore voting rights to Russia, told Latvian Television this morning that PACE cannot exchange its values for money.

Libine-Egnere said that this is exactly what is happening, because since Russia's restoration of voting rights within the organizations, Russia has done absolutely nothing to improve the situation in Ukraine and has only paid its membership fee to the organization. ''The collection of membership fees is not the objective of this organization,'' she said.

Asked whether it is possible to change something within the organization at the moment, Libine-Egnere said that she does not believe a majority of PACE member states would be prepared to reverse its decision in regards to Russia. ''But it is Latvia's responsibility to continue raising this matter. This is why parliament members from Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark will gather today to discuss possible reactions to this PACE decision,'' she said.

As reported, PACE on June 25 voted to restore Russia's voting rights, which the organization suspended in reaction to Russia's illegal annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.