Valentina Matvienko addressed the participants of the CIS Youth Parliamentary Forum

Dear friends!

Let me welcome the organizers and the participants of the First CIS Youth Parliamentary Forum. It was our common decision – yours and the Assembly’s – to convene this Forum. It was called for by the growing voice of the youth and youth-led organizations in our body politics. This is an organic and welcome trend since it is the youth who will have to eventually assume the responsibility for their nations.

CIS Youth Parliamentary Forum was designed to be a learning exercise ahead of the rise to the high responsibility, an open deliberative platform to discuss the challenges that we meet. But first and foremost, this is a place where young political leaders can exchange experience in legislating and governance, leading the work of civil institutions.

May I wish you to seamlessly join the community of youth-based organizations to become one of its prominent constituencies. This is especially relevant today, in a challenging international atmosphere. By saying this I mean the rise of extreme neo-nazism and the expansion of international terrorism. Therefore, the Forum must be an instrument for the consolidation of all forces of good will and equitable cooperation across the world.

The vision for such a Forum was in the air for some time. Today, when the vision has been materialized, it behooves us to act to fill the vision with substance and results.

May I wish every success to the Forum as a whole and creative experiences for every participant as they work for the wellbeing of their nations.