In the margins of the IPA CIS spring session a number of bilateral meetings took place

Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko met with Vice Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis the Republic of Uzbekistan Boriy Alikhanov in the margins of the spring session of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in St. Petersburg.

According to Valentina Matvienko, the events organized by the IPA CIS provide a good opportunity for bilateral meetings. She noted the high importance of the organization as a non-biased and non-politicized platform and stressed that the permanent participation of Uzbekistan in the activity of the IPA CIS would be warmly welcomed.

Valentina Matvienko also met with Speaker of the Mejilis of Turkmenistan Gülşat Mämmedowa. She expressed hope that the delegation of Turkmenistan would actively work in order to promote parliamentary cooperation and exchange parliamentary experience. Turkmenistan co-chairs the CIS this year and will take over the presidency next year which makes parliamentary engagement even more valuable.

The Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council noted that during the 137^th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that was held in autumn 2017 in St. Petersburg Turkmenistan became a full member of this organization. Valentina Matvienko congratulated Gülşat Mämmedowa on her election as Speaker of the Mejilis, invited her to pay an official visit to Russia and handed over the official invitation to participate in the 2^nd Eurasian Women’s Forum that will take place in St. Petersburg in 2018.

Valentina Matvienko also met with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko. The meeting discussed the engagement in the framework of the IPA CIS and other international organizations and shares views on a wide range of issues of international agenda.

At the meeting with Vice Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Asel Koduranova the parties discussed issues of bilateral and international agenda and the participation of the Kyrgyz delegation in the events organized by the IPA CIS.

In the margins of the IPA CIS spring session Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko met with Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Ara Babloyan. They shared views on the status and outlook of the cooperation between Armenia and Belarus both on bilateral basis and in the framework of international parliamentary organizations such as the IPA CIS and CSTO PA.