Armenian MPs Abstained From Vote During PACE Resolution Against Russ

Armenian MPs Abstained From Vote During PACE Resolution Against Russia

01.29.2015 12:30 epress.am

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has decided
to ratify the credentials of the Russian delegation, citing the need
to “foster dialogue”, but at the same time has decided to suspend its
voting rights and its right to be represented in the Assembly’s
leading bodies “as a clear expression of condemnation of continuing
grave violations of international law in respect of Ukraine” by
Russia.

The Assembly said it would return to this issue at its April 2015
part-session and would consider re-instating these two rights “if
Russia has made marked and measurable progress towards implementing
the demands of the Assembly”.

In addition, the Assembly also suspended, for the duration of the
Assembly’s 2015 session, the right of its Russian members to be
appointed as a rapporteur, to observe elections or to represent the
Assembly in other Council of Europe or external bodies.

In its resolution, the Assembly said it: “condemns the illegal
annexation of Crimea and its continuing integration into the Russian
Federation”. It also condemned Russia’s role in “instigating and
escalating developments in Ukraine, including with arms supplies to
insurgent forces and covert military action by Russian troops inside
eastern Ukraine.”

The resolution was voted for by 160 MPs, 42 against, and 11 abstained.
Members of the Armenian delegation, Republican Party MPs Hermine
Naghdalyan and Naira Karapetyan, Rule of Law Party MP Mher
Shahgeldyan, were among the ones who abstained. The entire delegation
of Azerbaijan and Serbia voted against the resolution.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress