Delegates of four countries walk out of conference room in Athens when Russian speaker takes rostrum

Delegates from three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Poland refused to listen to the speech by the Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia, Valentina Matviyenko, at the meeting of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in Athens and walked out of the room, RIA Novosti reports with reference to a member of the Russian delegation.

"The members of the delegation of Poland and all the three Baltic countries, who were present in the conference room, walked out when Valentina Matviyenko began to speak,” the delegate said.

The delegations of the four countries returned to their seats as soon as Matviyenko finished her speech.

Earlier it was reported that Valentina Matviyenko was going to visit Greece to participate in the events of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments. The event takes place on October 20-22 in Athens under the auspices of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Valentina Matviyenko took part in the opening of the conference, and also delivered a speech "Democracy in the Face of the Public Health Crisis Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sharing Experience, Next Steps."

Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that she did not even notice that the delegates of the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Poland refused to listen to her speech at the meeting of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in Athens.

According to her, she saw the reaction of her colleagues, who applauded to her after she finished her speech. 

“But if it happened, I don't know what the reasons were. Maybe someone had to wash their hands,” said Matvienko.

If they did it demonstratively, it confirms that this category of officials lacks diplomatic and political culture.

“Nobody noticed that,” the Federation Council speaker concluded.