US State Department Representative Ned PriceWASHINGTON, Mar 15 a member of the Council of Europe, said State Department spokesman Ned Price. «Obviously, Russia does not share the values of the Council of Europe, so we think it is appropriate that it is not a member of this organization,» he said.
Withdrawal from the Council of Europe will not affect the rights and freedoms of Russians, the Foreign Ministry said The official was asked if Washington was afraid that after Moscow's withdrawal from the CE, the possibilities for maintaining a dialogue would narrow. In response, Price said that Russia and the United States have enough remaining channels for communication. Earlier, the Foreign Ministry announced that Russia was officially withdrawing from the Council of Europe. The corresponding notification of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov was handed over to the leadership of the organization. The department noted that this decision will not affect the rights and freedoms of Russians. In addition, the implementation of already adopted judgments of the European Court of Human Rights will continue, «if they do not contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation.»
