The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) has suspended its cooperation with the Russian parliament, the president of the organization announced on Saturday after a conference held in Riga.

      According to Hugh Bayley, the dialogue was curtailed in the wake of the Crimea decisions taken by the Russian president and the parliament.

      From now on, Russian representatives would not be allowed to take part in the sessions of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

      Founded in 1955, the organization serves as a consultative interparliamentary body for the North Atlantic Alliance.

      Earlier, Russia-IC reported that the Russian-US presidential commission that facilitated cooperation between the two countries was dismantled as part of the US sanctions regime introduced against Moscow.

      Set up in the framework of the reset policy, the commission was believed to be a key force behind many breakthrough steps. The commission coordinated the joint work of 20 subcommittees on a broad spectrum of issues.

      The Kremlin said it was disappointed to see it happen but would not appeal to the US administration to resume its operation.

      Russia has sparked a wave of criticism after it incorporated Crimea into its territory following a referendum on the peninsula with a large ethnic Russian population.

      The US and the EU imposed a raft of sanctions on Russian officials and individuals with close ties to the Kremlin.

      The US also put space and military cooperation on hold, followed by some of its NATO allies, including the UK.