Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that Russia remains a member of the Council of Europe.

The Government believes that in the current circumstances, Russia should remain a member of the Council of Europe. The UK actively engages with Russia in the Council of Europe, encouraging Russia to embed the high standards in the field of human rights, the rule of law and democracy to which it has signed up to through its membership. We are equally pressing for greater scrutiny and challenge of Russia’s behaviour through Council of Europe mechanisms. We will continue to work in the Council of Europe and other international organisations of which Russia is a member, such as the UN and the Organisation for Security and Cooporation in Europe, to uphold the rules and standards that Russia has signed up to, and to bring more pressure to bear when Russia fails to meet its commitments. This approach is more constructive than one of isolation, which would shield Russia from international pressure and vigilance, and it is supported by the majority of human rights campaigns in Russia with whom we have had contact.