The PACE Commission on Political Affairs and Democracy meeting took place via videoconference
First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Sergei Kislyak and First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security Vladimir Kozhin attended a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Commission on Political Affairs and Democracy.
The event took place via videoconference.
As Sergei Kislyak reported, the discussion centred on the issue of democracies facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants had an extensive exchange of opinions on the role of national parliaments and organising elections during emergencies. PACE President Hendrik Daems, invited experts from major European universities and representatives of the Venice Commission took part in the discussion.
The senator noted that the speakers were united in their opinion that parliament members need to cooperate more closely during this difficult time while legislative activity and promotion of parliamentary initiatives must continue by all means. The participants discussed new types and formats of cooperation, specifics of remote and electronic voting, the possibility of observer missions to work in new conditions, and maintaining a balance between citizens’ freedoms and the restrictive measures that are necessary to ensure their safety. Representatives of national delegations openly shared their countries’ experience.
Sergei Kislyak stressed that in Russia, the government and the parliament have well-established solid and dynamic cooperation aimed at saving lives and supporting members of the public who found themselves in a difficult financial situation. “Considering that pandemics are transnational problems, it is necessary to have an expert discussion of the specific steps that parliaments can take, including as part of their joint work in PACE, to improve cooperation between the states when it comes to preventing and overcoming pandemics,” the senator proposed.
Following the discussion of the democracies facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants decided to draft a resolution and appoint British delegation member Ian Liddell-Grainger a report presenter.
Additionally, members of the PACE commission discussed the activity of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including taxation in the area of digital economy.
Priorities of Greece’s current chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe were also presented during the meeting.