The Ukrainian parliamentary delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has met with the diplomatic corps - ambassadors of the member countries of the Council and discussed, in particular, the issues of hostage release in Crimea and the peacekeeping mission in Donbas, Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko has said.

"I advocated the synchronization of our efforts to preserve and protect the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe. We advocate that Russia return to the international legal field and begin to fulfill its obligations," Gerashchenko wrote on her Facebook page.

"The number of hostages is growing - for today 157 Ukrainians are illegally kept in captivity in the ORDLO region, dozens in the Russian Federation. During 14 months, there has been no progress in the issue of hostage release. I called upon international partners to use all mediation efforts for liberation, like Turkey, which helped liberate the Crimean Tatars Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz," she said.

Also, according to the first deputy speaker, the parties discussed the issue of the peacekeeping contingent in Donbas. "The hybrid Russia's proposal on the "protection of the mission on the contact line" is absolutely unacceptable. The peacekeepers must be present throughout the temporarily occupied territory, including the uncontrolled section of the Russian-Ukrainian border. And we expect the support of our UN and EC partners in this matter," Gerashchenko wrote.

Also, according to the politician, she called for paying special attention to the problem of violation of fundamental human rights in the occupied Crimea and Donbas.

According to Gerashchenko, the meeting was especially relevant on the eve of the January session of the Council of Europe, "which promises to be difficult" in connection with the plans of the Russian Federation to return to PACE "without fulfilling any prerequisites."