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Russia launches procedure to quit Council of Europe

16 Mar 2022 10:02am
Russia has sent a notice of withdrawal from the Council of Europe (CoE) to the organisation's Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric. The CoE is an organisation whose aim is to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. - 123RF Photo
Russia has sent a notice of withdrawal from the Council of Europe (CoE) to the organisation's Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric. The CoE is an organisation whose aim is to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. - 123RF Photo
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MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday sent a notice of withdrawal from the Council of Europe to the organisation's Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The states of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and the European Union, abusing their majority in the Council of Europe, are consistently turning this organisation into an instrument of anti-Russian policy, refusing equal dialogue and all the principles on which this pan-European structure was created," Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

Nevertheless, Russia remains open to pragmatic and equal interaction with the members of the Council of Europe on issues of mutual interest, it added.

Russia announced on Thursday (March 10) that it would no longer participate in the Council of Europe. Russia joined the council in February 1996 as its 39th member. - BERNAMA

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