IPA CIS delegation paid its last respects to those perished in the acts of terrorism in Brussels

The IPA CIS delegation paid a visit to the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium. Deputy Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council – Representative of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Viktar Kohut, Deputy Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council – Representative of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Petr Ryabukhin, Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat Alexey Dolzhikov and other staff members of the Secretariat signed the Book of Condolences for the victims of Brussels.

Earlier IPA CIS Council Chairperson, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko visited the Belgian Embassy in Moscow and offered her condolences to Ambassador Alex Van Meeuwen and employees of the Belgian diplomatic mission.

The Chairperson of the IPA CIS also made her input in the Book of Condolences in the Embassy. "I was shocked by the tragedy which terrorists brought to the Belgian land. Death of innocent people is an evil that cannot ever be justified. This is a challenge to modern civilization and to the human right to life", wrote Valentina Matvienko.

Valentina Matvienko believes that decisive repulse to terrorism can be possible only through active international action and renewed commitments in this struggle. "We have been doing our utmost, and will continue do so to put an end to terrorism".

On 26 November 2015, the IPA CIS Council adopted the Statement On Joining Efforts in Combating International Terrorism. The Statement calls on all parliaments and international parliamentary organizations to strengthen legal action against international terrorism and take full stock of the potential of parliamentary diplomacy to consolidate the global community in the face of the unprecedented threat of terrorism.