The head of the international Department of the state Duma Alexei Pushkov gave a comparison of the circumstances of the granting limited visas to the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko with the limitation of powers of the Russian delegation to the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko and other members of the Russian delegation decided not to participate in the session of the inter-Parliamentary Union (31 August-2 September) in new York, after the US issued Matvienko truncated visa. When the PACE has limited the range of possibilities of the Russian delegation, it had suspended its participation in the Assembly.

"To me it (the situation with the visa Matvienko) recalled the circumstances with the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which was in a similar situation, When the parliamentary Assembly agreed the range of possibilities of the Russian delegation, but with very significant limitations, which in fact does not allow the Russian delegation to full operation in the framework of the parliamentary Assembly. Here is the same diskreditatsionnoy schemes: visa seems to be given, but not the kind of visa that give us the ability to work ", - said the people's Deputy Last news on Thursday.

the Russian delegation in PACE in April 2014 was deprived of office because of Russia's position on Ukraine and annexed Crimea. In 2015 the parliamentary Assembly twice took action on possible restoration of the Russian delegation to the rights, but limits remain. Due to the inability to participate in voting and to work in the governing bodies of the organization, the delegation of Russia has suspended participation in the activities of PACE.

sections: Politics