Russia expelled from Council of Europe

10:21, 17 марта 2022, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Yuri KOPYTIN

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to expel Russia from the organization. It is stated on the Council of Europe’s website.

«In an extraordinary meeting this morning, the Committee of Ministers decided, in the context of the procedure launched under Article 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, that the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership,» the statement says.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry notified the Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić about its withdrawal from the organization. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that «the states of NATO and the European Union, abusing their majority in the Council of Europe, are consistently turning this organization into an instrument of anti-Russian policy, refusing an equal dialogue and all the principles on which this pan-European structure was created.»

The Council of Europe is an international organization promoting cooperation between its members, states and European countries in the field of law, human rights, democratic development, rule of law and cultural cooperation. It was founded on May 5, 1949.

Situation in Ukraine remains complicated. Fighting continues. Russia started a special military operation on February 24, 2022. The number of military and civilian casualties continues to grow. Many states have imposed and continue to impose severe sanctions on Russia.