Russian MPs refuse to discuss draft resolution on Crimea in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE
Russian MPs have refused to discuss a draft resolution on Crimea in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.
The document on human rights violations in Crimea was prepared by Ukraine and appeared as an extra item on the agenda. Authors of the document specifically drew attention to the situation with the Crimean Tatar people and the use of torture in interrogation.
The delegation from the Russian Federation, according to some sources, refused to discuss the document. According to others, they all left the room where the meeting took place, Ekho Moskvy reports.
“The document is clearly biased; it's anti-Russian, and, therefore, it is not subject to revision,” the head of the State Duma delegation deputy Nikolai Kovalev said. According to him, the text was written by propagandists. The legislator invited everyone to visit, to assess the situation for themselves.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, a draft of amendments prepared by the Georgian delegation was supported. Tbilisi submitted four amendments to the draft resolution, that consists of 87 paragraphs, in which the Assembly urges the Russian Federation to fully implement the six paragraph agreement signed on August 12, 2008.
The OSCE PA calls on the Russian Federation to promote the free movement of humanitarian supplies in the self-proclaimed republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It stresses the importance of strengthening the OSCE's role in the process of peaceful settlement of the Georgian conflict, including in the Geneva International Discussions format. It invites the participants to use more active international dialogue mechanisms to promote international security and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The hearings for the draft were held in the format of a debate, and, for each paragraph, both supporters and opponents of its adoption voiced their opinions, Ekho Kavkaza reports.