MOSCOW, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - The speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament, the State Duma, plans on participating in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) summit scheduled for September 2 in order “to lower the temperature of tension in Europe.”
“I will most likely accept the invitation and we will certainly prepare concrete suggestions in not only future joint activities with PACE, but also on measures to lower the temperature of tension in Europe,” Sergei Naryshkin said.
In April, PACE rescinded Russia’s voting rights in the organization over the situation in Ukraine and Crimea.
Crisis in Ukraine broke out when, following a government coup on February 22, Ukrainian troops tried to suppress the independence supporters in eastern Ukraine that refused to acknowledge the newly instated authorities, leading to armed confrontation.
Crimea’s reunification with Russia took place in March after a referendum.
The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions against a number of Russian officials and companies over Russia’s alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict, which Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Russia has been a member of PACE since 1996.
