Ukrainian delegates tried to disrupt Russian delegation's speech at PABSEC summit and fought over the flag on sidelines

Members of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) at the summit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Ankara tried to disrupt the speech of the Russian delegation.

Source: Türkiye’s Anadolu Agency, as European Pravda reports

Details: In particular, this happened during the speech of Ola Timofeeva, a member of the State Duma from the United Russia party, who pinned the St George’s ribbon, a symbol of Russian aggression, on her jacket.

The Ukrainian lawmakers tried to unfurl flags behind her back, but members of the Russian delegation tried to prevent the actions of the Ukrainians.

Then the speaker of the Parliament of Türkiye intervened in the situation. Mustafa Şentop announced a break and demanded that the delegation, which had violated the rules of the event, be taken out of the hall.

Quote: "The person who has been given the floor will speak here. I will not allow anyone to disturb the peace and order of the event. If someone has such intentions, they should leave the room," he said.

As he stated, everyone can express their opinions and ideas orally. "There is nothing wrong with this. However, if attempts are made to hold actions, the site of today's meeting will cease to be a parliamentary event and turn into a street movement," the Türkiye’s speaker said.

Şentop emphasised that he did not allow such actions and asked those who wanted to speak without giving the floor to leave the hall.

Subsequently, a fight broke out on the sidelines of the event with the participation of Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Marikovskyi over the Ukrainian flag, which he had to take back.

The 61st PABSEC General Assembly is held in Ankara on 4-5 May. On the eve of the event, the Praesidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people declared the inadmissibility of confirming the mandates of the members of the national delegation of the Russian Federation as members of PABSEC.

The agenda of the PABSEC General Assembly includes the issue of confirming the mandates of the members of the national delegation of the Russian Federation, formed after the parliamentary elections in the Russian Federation.

"Persons included in the official delegation of the Russian Federation and whose mandates are proposed to be confirmed as members of PABSEC continue to commit international crimes today: they develop, discuss and approve criminal decisions aimed at violating the norms of international treaties, launching and waging war against the sovereign, independent and democratic Ukrainian state, as a result of which civilians, including children, die every day," the Mejlis said.

All persons included in the official delegation of the Russian Federation since February 2014, when the Russian Federation occupied Crimea, are personally involved in committing crimes on the territory of Ukraine and against citizens of Ukraine, the Mejlis stressed.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) was established on 26 February 1993. After excluding Russia, it includes 12 countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

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