German side stands for Russia's return to PACE, but 'not at any cost' – Ariev

18:14, 27.09.2018 1 min read

Head of Ukraine's permanent delegation to the PACE Volodymyr Ariev, after meetings with the deputies of the Bundestag (Germany), has said that the German side is in favor of returning the Russian Federation to PACE.

"The situation in the PACE and the Council of Europe was discussed in general. The Germans believe that Russia needs to be returned to the PACE, but they doubt whether it should be done at any cost. That is, everything is complicated, but not hopeless," he wrote on Facebook page after meetings in Berlin on Thursday.

According to Ariev, the German side is ready to "hear the Ukrainian position."

"We will continue the dialogue," the deputy added.

In 2014, the delegation of the Russian Federation due to the situation around Ukraine was deprived of its basic rights - the right to vote, in the Assembly's governing structures and its observation missions. In response, Russian parliamentarians refused to attend PACE's sessions.