Umer: For our country we must fight and not someone else

Photo: Alexander Senko / Facebook

In the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe there is no such antagonism, that “someone is tired of Ukraine”, the main thing – not tired members of the Ukrainian delegation. About this in comments to the edition “GORDON” said the MP from the “Voices”, the Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE Mr. Rustem Umerov.

“I think it is incorrect to say that we are “recovered” in the PACE – we just continue to operate there. No PACE left – our delegation has just left the room. In any case, the Assembly is facing a crisis. This institution needs to reconsider why she is in breach of its statutes? Russia put specific conditions, but it has not fulfilled them. And while the Russian delegation was again in the hall. Anyway, we need to focus on its agenda. It concerns political prisoners, prisoners of war, violations of human rights in the Crimea and in the occupied territories of Donbass. And we need to protect the interests of Ukraine. For me personally it is very important to defend the rights of the Crimean Tatars in the occupied Crimea,” said umer.

According to him, members of the new Ukrainian delegation to PACE, learn from the experience of their predecessors.

“Since the formation of the new delegation to PACE took about six months. And we sat on the ground – have established a lot of contacts. We went to Europe, our partners came to Ukraine. In addition, we have a good cooperation with former members of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE. We adopt their experience. I have always been in the PACE delegation [MP] Mustafa Dzhemilev. So for me it’s not new. We are in the subject. On must be “action-plan”. In particular, are going to hold a series of meetings. I also support the initiative of imposing sanctions against MPs elected from the occupied Crimea. I think the mechanism for this is. Because of the occupied territories has no right to have their representatives”, – said the MP.

He stressed that Ukraine in PACE has supported a number of European countries.

“In Europe, want to hear our point of view. And if you substantial going on politics, diplomacy or security, it will support you. In addition to our friends from the Baltic States support Ukraine Scandinavians, many countries in continental Europe. For which we are very grateful. There is no such antagonism, that “someone is tired of Ukraine”. Most importantly we are not tired. It’s a problem of our country. And if someone is tired, let it rest. For our country we must fight, not someone else” – summed up dead.

Ukraine is not involved in the work of PACE from 25 June 2019 due to the return to Assembly of the Russian delegation. January 13, 2020 MP from the party of “European solidarity” Alexey Goncharenko said that the Ukrainian delegation will resume the PACE.

Russia was deprived of voting rights in PACE in April 2014, immediately after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in the Donbass. In protest in 2017 of the Russian Federation stopped the payment of contributions to the budget of the Council of Europe (about €33 million a year), which led to the financial crisis in the organization. Russia stated that it would pay the Council of Europe the duty on contributions, if the PACE “eliminate the threat of discrimination of national delegations.”

On the night of June 25, 2019, PACE adopted a resolution on the change of the sanctions mechanism, which enabled the Russian delegation to return to the Assembly. On June 26 the PACE 116 votes (against 62, abstentions 15) adopted a resolution on the credentials of the Russian delegation without any restrictions. Ukrainian MPs said that in protest, leaving the session of the Assembly. The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Ukraine recalled the then Ambassador to the Council of Europe Dmitry Kuleba for consultation.

On 2 July Russia has paid a contribution to the Council of Europe.

On 23 September the Ukrainian delegation to PACE has adopted a Declaration on the refusal to participate in the next session. In September the Verkhovna Rada has formed a new composition of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, but she refused to participate in the autumn session in protest.

The head of the parliamentary Committee on international relations, MP from the faction “people’s Servant” Bohdan Yaremenko said that the new Ukrainian delegation to PACE will decide on its participation in the work of the Assembly at the end of 2019 or early 2020.

6 December Venice Commission recognized the legitimacy of the Russian delegation.