“Something of the European ideal has been lost today following the UK’s vote for Brexit,” said PACE President Pedro Agramunt, speaking on the last day of the Assembly’s plenary session in Strasbourg.
“This vote will affect not just the people of the United Kingdom but all the peoples of Europe. It will affect not just the European Union but all international organisations, including the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly.”
“Today the European flag is at half-mast, but sometimes it is necessary to take a step back before taking a step forward. Avenues for inter-parliamentary dialogue in Europe will need to find a new impetus, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in which the United Kingdom remains a major player, will need to do more to realise European ideals and affirm our common European heritage.”
“I welcome today’s strong reassertion by Sir Roger Gale, head of the British delegation to PACE, of the UK’s commitment to Council of Europe principles.”
