The expected Russia’s presidency in PACE is putt off till 2010. Europe blocks the appointment because of Russia’s not ratifying the 4th protocol on human rights.
      
      Senator Mikhail Margelov, whose appointment as the next president of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly recently was out of question, suffered from Russian foreign policy. At a meeting in Paris on Jan. 10, the leaders of the assembly's five political groups agreed on reforms to the nominating procedures for the rotating presidency that would give the chamber's largest group, the Socialists, the right to nominate a candidate for the election, scheduled for Monday. The reform entails that the Assembly's presidency and committee chairmanships rotate every two years instead of three. Being the biggest group, the Socialists will nominate the first candidate, and Margelov's European Democrats will be next.
      
      The European states may have come to such a decision due to Russia’s not signing the protocol on abolition of death penalty, which should help speed up the processing of cases at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg. It could be an answer to Russia’s strong position towards Kosovo independence.
      
      Some media say, now Russia may cut on funding PACE.
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