PACE to discuss extremism, Russia-Georgia dossier not on agenda.

STRASBOURG , October 4 (Itar-Tass) - The autumn session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which opens here on
Monday, will discuss fight against extremism. The Russian-Georgian issue
will not be on the agenda once again.
The head of the Russian delegation, Konstantin Kosachev, said PACE
intends to first of all urge countries to boost international cooperation
on fight against extremism. According to Kosachev, who is the chairman of
the State Duma international affairs committee, PACE realizes that it is
impossible to cope with extremism and terrorism only within the framework
of national borders, and an exchange of experience and real cooperation
are needed.
He said Russia would be also mentioned in the resolution, but the
problems of extremism are recognized in it as common European problems. He
also said that for a certain period of time the session has not raised
sensitive issues connected with Russia, which he believes, testifies to a
certain positive tendency in the perception of Russia on the platform of
the Council of Europe.
After the conflict in August 2008, when the Russian delegation
remained a target for criticism for several sessions running, "a
constructive stance begins prevailing in PACE". The Russian-Georgian issue
will not be on the agenda once again. However, a session of the monitoring
commission, which will determine the further fate of the Russian-Georgia
dossier, will be held in Strasbourg, the deputy head of the delegation,
Leonid Slutsky, said. However, he did not rule out that it might once
again discuss closing that dossier as offered by the main rapporteur,
David Wilshire (Great Britain).
Slutsky recalled that starting from October 2008, the Assembly has
passed several resolutions on that issue, constantly demanding from Russia
to revoke its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Former head of
the international fact-finding mission on the conflict in Georgia Heidi
Tagliavini, on the contrary, said it was unreasonable to pass unachievable
decisions and urged the sides for a dialogue.
The situation with the member of the Russian delegation Sergei Markov,
who was denied an entry visa to Georgia, as a result of which the Russian
delegation could not take part in a session of PACE's legal commission in
Tbilisi last September, will also be in the focus of attention. Kosachev,
personally, believes that now PACE must not organize any events in Georgia
as long as Georgia pursues a discriminatory visa policy.
PACE will also discuss the situation with human rights in Ukraine and
will pass a resolution on the development of democracy in that country.
This issue acquires particular importance ahead of elections to the local
bodies of power and in the light of the recent constitutional changes, an
official representative of the Assembly told Tass.
He said PACE hopes Kiev will continue a course aimed at reforms in the
country and will rigorously observe democratic principles. Kosachev, for
his part, said some points of the report were questionable and said he
expected big discussions on the report.
A draft resolution said PACE was concerned in connection with growing
accusations, according to which the Ukrainian authorities have been lately
putting pressure on the freedom of speech and democratic institutions. Any
deviations from democracy are inadmissible, it said.
The parliamentarians will also consider prospects to boost cooperation
in the Baltic region, as well as the activity of major international
economic agencies - the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
and the Council of Europe Development Bank.
The autumn session will continue till October 8.