IPA CIS gains importance and opportunities in inter-parliamentary cooperation

Heads of national parliamentary delegations of the Commonwealth drew the outcomes of the current session at a press-conference, answering questions of journalists.

Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko told the media that the current session brought together heads of national delegations and parliamentary bodies, collectively representing over 200 countries.

Valentina Matvienko welcomed the fact that the IPA CIS received the status of associate membership at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The IPA CIS became the 11^th associate member of the IPU. Today, only major international institutions are holding a similar status at the IPU, including some of the partner organization of the IPA CIS, such as PA CE, Latin-American Parliament, Central-American Parliament, and European Parliament.

According to the IPA CIS Chairperson, the IPU's associate members enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as regular members, but for the right to vote and nominate candidates for elected positions. The new status allows the IPA CIS to participate in general debates and draft resolutions on current issues.

The press-conference also brought together members of the IPA CIS Council. They shared impressions and commented on the results and significance of the current session. The general attitude was that the IPA CIS activities had been successful to date and that the current momentum had to be kept in the future.