Valentina Matvienko: Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Continues Remotely

At the online briefing, Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko told the journalists that the inter-parliamentary cooperation across the Commonwealth continues to develop remotely – on telephone and via video-conferencing.

She mentioned the recent contacts with the Speakers of the upper chambers of the parliaments of Tajikistan and Belarus. The parties discussed the issues of strengthening cooperation, implementation of joint educational project with Tajikistan and the preparation of the Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions. The Organizing Committee of the Forum will meet in June via video-conferencing. The Forum is expected to be take place in autumn.

Valentina Matvienko also told about active cooperation with the Interparliamentary Union, whose leadership supported Russian position of lifting unilateral illegal sanctions, barriers and restrictions to enable the supplies of medicines, medical equipment, food and therefore support all the countries during the pandemic. The Speaker of the Federation Council expressed hope that the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments would be held in Vienna in August.

The Speaker of the upper chamber of Russian parliament also commented on the postponement of the meeting of the Council of Legislators, which is traditionally held in April in the Tavricheskiy Palace – the headquarters of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. She told that the event will be held in person as soon as circumstances permit. Some of the issues expected to be considered at the meeting have become even more relevant, for example, the support of the small and medium-size businesses, provision of housing to the orphan children, organization of children’s recreation etc.