CIS MPs Discussed Political Issues Related to Commonwealth Security

On 19 May 2022, MPs of the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan discussed several relevant issues during a meeting of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission of Political Issues and International Cooperation.

The meeting began with elections of the Chair of the Commission, as well as Deputy Chairs. Chair of the Committee of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Aigul Kuspan was re-elected as the Chair of the IPA CIS Permanents Commission on Political Issues and International Cooperation. Deputy Chair of the Permanent Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on International Affairs Tengiz Dumbadze and Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev were re-elected as the Deputy Chairs of the Commission.

As part of the discussion of other issues on the agenda, Konstantin Kosachev informed the meeting participants about the implementation of the IPA CIS Recommendations on the Implementation of the 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. He said that Russia had implemented all the measures included in the Recommendations for the implementation of the Convention, in particular, adopted a law on biological safety, and was ready to share experience with the CIS countries. He also called on parliamentarians to get involved in the work on the development of legislation to counter bioterrorism, which has already started within the framework of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Defense and Security.

Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Roberto Montella spoke about the participation of the OSCE PA representatives in the IPA CIS events and noted the importance of using the tools of parliamentary dialogue in order to influence the processes taking place today in Europe, as well as to continue parliamentary interaction in addressing global problems related to the financing of international terrorism, climate change, displacement of people, etc.

Head of the UNOCT Programme Office in Doha David Alamos informed the meeting participants about the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States and invited representatives of the CIS countries to take part in the events that the UNOCT Programme Office.

Chair of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on International Affairs and National Security Sergei Rachkov briefed the meeting participants about the statements adopted by the Belarusian MPs in connection with the suspension of Belarusian athletes from competitions by the International Olympic Committee, as well as in connection with the suspension of the participation of the Republic of Belarus in the Central European Initiative.

During the event, Aigul Kuspan informed the meeting participants about the Concept of the Chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2022.

The meeting participants also were briefed on the results of sessions of international parliamentary organizations (PACE, IPU, OSCE PA, PAM) and coordination of actions of parliamentary delegations of the CIS Member Nations in their work.