Russia-24 highlights the results of the IPA CIS Spring Session

Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Coordinator of the delegation to the IPA CIS Ilyas Umakhanov, Chairperson of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev and Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Alexey Sergeev became the guests of the Senate TV show.

They shared their impressions on the IPA CIS Spring Session that had ended its work a week before in St. Petersburg. The 2 days of the session featured more than 50 bilateral meetings, the adoption of 7 model laws (mainly about environment), and signing of a series of documents.

A record number of delegates from European parliaments and international parliamentary organizations came to visit the current Spring Session. In their interventions at the Session's meetings, they focused on strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and on joining efforts against international terrorism.

In the margins of the Session, Ilyas Umakhanov announced that on 31 May in Astana the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan would hold the international conference Religions against Terrorism. The Conference will be attended by parliamentary delegations of the CIS and representatives of the IPA CIS.

The guests touched upon the new status of associate membership granted to the IPA CIS by the Inter-Parliamentary Union at the latest IPU session. Along with the new status, Konstantin Kosachev was elected Vice-President of the IPU. Alexey Sergeev added that with the new status the IPA CIS was entitled to participate in general debates and sponsor draft resolutions on relevant issues.