18/01/2021 (Agence Europe) – Speaking on 15 January, Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service, emphasised the EU’s “profound disagreement” with the Russian authorities’ decisions to include the Prague Civil Society Centre and theAssociation of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe on their list of ‘undesirable organisations’ (see EUROPE 12637/18). “It is regrettable that an NGO linked to the Council of Europe has been labelled as an ‘undesirable organisation’ by a Council of Europe Member State”, he said in a statement sent to the media. He announced that the EU supported the call by the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights for the Russian authorities to reverse these decisions. Stano again urged the Russian authorities to repeal the legislation relating to foreign agencies and to respect their international obligations relating to freedom of association, assembly and expression. (CG)