First meeting of the IPA CIS Economic Expert Council took place in the Tavricheskiy Palace

The meeting was opened by Chairman of the IPA CIS Economic Expert Council, Rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics Igor Maksimtsev. He informed the participants on the history of creation of the expert council and outlined the main topic of its first meeting.

Acting Secretary General – Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat Dmitriy Kobitskiy also noted the relevance of the new IPA CIS body.

The participants addressed the organizational matters: Director of the State Research Institute “Center for Systems Analysis and Strategic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus”, member of the Presidium of the Scientific and Consultative Council on the Issues of Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus under the Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Valery Goncharov was elected Deputy Chairman of the Expert Council, Head of the Department of Model Law-Making in the Field of State-Building and Economy of the Expert and Analytical Directorate of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat, Secretary of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Economy and Finance Andrey Vaganov was elected the Executive Secretary of the Council.

Opening the substantial part of the meeting Igor Maksimtsev presented a substantial report on the need to enhance joint efforts of the CIS countries in the field of economy. He mentioned growing instability and global recession in recent years, increasing price volatility, shift in fundamental principles of functioning and configuration of global economy, emergence of new poles of power – mega-regional trade and political unions and blocks – in the world economy among modern challenges for the CIS.

Chief of Staff of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Issues of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Contacts with Fellow Countryman Mikhail Krotov delivered a message on the role of the Interparliamentary Assembly in legislative support of economic development in the CIS. Mikhail Krotov reminded that, according to the Convention on the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the IPA CIS is mandated not only to adopt recommendations on approximation of laws, model legislative acts and other documents aimed at developing integration within the CIS, but also to appeal on relevant issues directly to the Council of the Heads of State and the Council of the Heads of Government, which certainly increases its efficiency.

Head of the Division for Economic Development Strategy of the Department for Economic Cooperation of the CIS Executive Committee Andrey Kushnirenko, in his report, spoke on digitalization and the development of digital economy. He also drew attention to the relevance of economy for the Commonwealth. According to his observations, around 60-65% of the documents of the Council of the Heads of State and the Council of the Heads of Government address economic issues.

After the interventions the speakers agreed on the relevance and important role of the IPA CIS Economic Expert Council and acknowledged its potential as a platform for voicing the most relevant issues on the economic agenda of the Commonwealth.