” “"This chairmanship offers Russia a chance to prove it is an integral part of a democratic Europe on an equal footing. In addition, it is an opportunity for the Council of Europe to prove its pan-European character and its added value compared with the European Union": René Van der Linden, president of the Parliamentary Meeting of the Council of Europe, sent a message today to Vladimir Putin’s government, which for six months will chair the Strasbourg-based organisation, which is composed of 46 countries. A meeting between the leaders of the CoE and Russia has already been planned for May 29th in Moscow. "Now, it’s up to the Russian Federation added Van der Linden to show it can give a proactive contribution to the building of a democratic Europe, and this also means a peaceful solution of the conflicts that are going on in our continent". "As to human rights, the constitutional state and democracy, the Russian Federation, like many other member states, has still a long way to go. For the Council of Europe, the Russian chairmanship does not mean to turn a blind eye to the commitments that have not been fulfilled. Therefore, we must help the Russian Federation, as well as all the members of the European family, to make progress in this direction".” “
