03/07/2019 (Agence Europe) – “Russia is resuming payments to the Council of Europe”, announced Daniel Holtgen, spokesman for the Secretary General of the international organisation, via his Twitter account, on Tuesday afternoon. A payment of 33 million euros corresponding to the current year's financial year was made. Moscow will still have to pay 55 million, an amount corresponding to its non-participation in the 2017 and 2018 budgets, with interest for late payment. The crisis began in 2014, against the backdrop of sanctions imposed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in connection with the annexation of Crimea, which led to financial reprisals decided by Moscow in June 2017. The return of the Russian delegation to PACE last week was noted as the beginning of a solution (see EUROPE 12284/23, 12282/19). (VL)