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"Russia is Europe and a member state of our organisation. I strongly believe that as Europeans we must solve our problems together," Pedro Agramunt, a Spanish lawmaker who was elected the new PACE president earlier this month, said, according to sputniknews.com.

A PACE resolution in April 2014 deprived the Russian delegation of its voting rights, after Crimea became a part of Russia. Russian lawmakers were barred from participating in PACE's three key bodies — its bureau, presidential committee and standing committee. The 2014 resolution curbing Russia’s rights in the Assembly was prolonged a year later.

Agramunt stressed that the fact that Russia did not appoint a delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly 2016 ordinary session does not mean that cooperation with Russia should stop.

"There are many issues we have to discuss; there is a number of problems we have to solve together," Agramunt said, adding that dialogue with Russia is important and "the Council of Europe is an appropriate forum for such dialogue."

Last week, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament Sergei Naryshkin said that Russia would not participate in the upcoming winter PACE session and would not present its credentials for renewal.

The decision also means Russia's credentials cannot be challenged in the body, which had previously imposed sanctions on the work of the Moscow delegates.