Strasbourg 13.03.2022 The consequences of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine will be the focus of an extraordinary plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), to be held in hybrid mode on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 March 2022. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will address the Assembly via video-conference.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to consult the Parliamentary Assembly on potential further measures to be taken, after suspending the Russian Federation’s rights of representation under Article 8 of the Organisation’s Statute (*) on 25 February in response to “serious violations” of its statutory obligations as a member state.

At the end of the extraordinary plenary session, PACE will adopt an Opinion which will be addressed to the Committee of Ministers. The majority required for the adoption of this text is set by the PACE Rules of Procedure at a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

The session will also include exchanges of view with Benedetto della Vedova, Under-Secretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, in the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, as well as with the Secretary General of the Organisation, Marija Pejčinović Burić.

(*) Article 8: Any member of the Council of Europe which has seriously violated Article 3 may be suspended from its right of representation and requested by the Committee of Ministers to withdraw under Article 7. If such member does not comply with this request, the Committee may decide that it has ceased to be a member of the Council from such date as the Committee may determine.

The an-European human rights institution suspended Russia’ rights of representation following the invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement was published by the state-owned TASS news agency on Thursday (10 March) and accused NATO and EU countries of “undermining” the European foundation of the organisation.

“Russia does not intend to put up with these subversive actions carried out by the collective West in line with the imposition of a ‘rules-based order’ to replace international law trampled by the United States and its satellites,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Russia will not participate in the transformation by NATO and the EU obediently following them of the oldest European organisation into another platform for incantations about Western superiority and narcissism. Let them enjoy communicating with each other, without Russia.”