Leader of the Irish Delegation to the Council of Europe Senator Fiona O’Loughlin has welcomed the firm condemnation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine by Council of Europe leaders.
Senator O'Loughlin said, "The Council of Europe was born in the aftermath of WWII to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These are three things that clearly the Russian Federation have no regard for. The Russian Federation should no longer be afforded membership of the Council of Europe and that opinion was made strongly in the Chamber in Strasbourg last night by myself and my colleague Dara Calleary TD.
“The Committee of Ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting today in the light of the notification by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation of the Russian leadership’s decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe. But let’s be clear here, it was a simple case of jump or be pushed.
Senator O'Loughlin concluded by saying “I have been engaging with the 9 incredibly brave MP’s who make up the Ukrainian delegation who bravely travelled over land to attend this extraordinary session. To hear the stories in person, to see the devastation on another person’s face really brings what we are seeing on TV screens into the realm of reality. The Russian Federation belong in the International Criminal Court, not the Council of Europe."
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