On day four of the Spring Session, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has decided to suspend the voting rights of the Russian Delegation until the end of 2014, as well as its right to be represented in the PACE Bureau, Presidential Committee and Standing Committee, and its right to participate in election observation missions. The PACE declared that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was in clear contradiction with the Statute of the Council of Europe and the commitments Russia made when it joined the organisation in 1996. In a resolution adopted after a three-hour debate, the Assembly said the military occupation of Ukrainian territory, threat of military force, recognition of the illegal so-called referendum and annexation of Crimea constituted a grave violation of international law. However, the Assembly also declared that political dialogue should remain the most privileged way to find compromise, and there should be no return to the pattern of the Cold War, pointing out that suspension of the credentials of the Russian delegation would make such a dialogue impossible. The Russian delegation deemed the sanctions as unjust and invalid, declaring that they represented the most severe violation of delegation’s rights.

The MPs, members of the Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held meetings with Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, current Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Ms Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, German candidate for the office of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who presented their programmes prior to the election for the Secretary General of the Council of Europe which would take place at the PACE June Session.

In the course of the day, members of the Montenegrin delegation participated in the meetings of: Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination; Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons; Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy; Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights; and Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development.

Furthermore, during the PACE Spring Session, the MPs attended significant events organised within the social agenda.

On the final day of the Spring Session, the plenum of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will include the discussion on refugees and their right to work, and ending child poverty in Europe.

Montenegrin delegation at the Spring Session consists of Mr Predrag Sekulić, Head of Delegation, and members: Ms Draginja Vuksanović, Mr Mladen Bojanić and Ms Snežana Jonica.