Session of IPA CIS Council Held in Saint-Petersburg

Today, the heads of the parliamentary delegations of the Commonwealth countries held the session of the IPA CIS Council in the Tavricheskiy Palace.

The event was opened by Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko.

The session was attended by the heads of parliamentary delegations: Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan, Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Igor Sergeenko, Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev, Speaker of the Majlisi namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan Mahmadtoir Zoir Zokirzoda, Speaker of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva.

The Council was also attended by First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security of Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aigul Kuspan, Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Dmitriy Kobitskiy, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Leonid Anfimov.

At the session of the Council, much attention was paid to monitoring electoral processes in the Commonwealth.

MPs discussed the results of monitoring the snap presidential elections of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 7 February 2024. The details were presented by Coordinator of the IPA CIS Observers group, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhakyp Asanov.

Sahiba Gafarova thanked IPA CIS Observers for the work done. She also noted the work of the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) and its Baku Office.

“Monitoring is not only an important area of the Assembly’s activities, but also an opportunity for MPs who are part of observer groups to share their experience,” Valentina Matvienko added.

Coordinator of the IPA CIS Observers group, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev spoke about the participation of the IPA CIS international observers in monitoring the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.

Natalya Kochanova noted the high professionalism of the observers and their objective assessment. Valentina Matvienko added that the systematic and reasoned work of the IPA CIS IIMDD made it possible to break the monopoly of the ODIHR in OSCE.

The heads of the Council heard information about the participation of the IPA CIS international observers in monitoring the presidential elections of the Russian Federation from Coordinator of the IPA CIS Observers group, Chair of the Standing Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus for Regional Policy and Local Self-Government Mikhail Rusy.

It was recognized that the election campaigns were conducted in compliance with the rights and freedoms of all participants in the electoral process, consistent with generally recognized democratic principles and norms of organizing and conducting free and fair elections.

The speakers were informed that the IPA CIS international observers will monitor the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The coordinator of the observers group will be a representative of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The IPA CIS observers are also preparing to monitor the snap elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, scheduled for 1 September.

Valentina Matvienko invited Konstantin Kosachev to head the IPA CIS Observers group at the upcoming election campaign in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The session participants adopted the Statement of the IPA CIS Council on the situation in the Gaza Strip of the State of Palestine. The document was presented by member of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Political Issues and International Cooperation Grigory Karasin.

Grigory Karasin noted that the Statement is one of the steps designed to show that the MPs of the CIS countries stand for a ceasefire, ensuring safe and adequate access to all victims and those in need, primarily under the auspices of the UN humanitarian agencies, the release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained persons, as well as for facilitating the reanimation of the peace process, leading to the creation of an independent and independent State of Palestine, coexisting in peace and security with Israel.

Natalya Kochanova noted that she regularly received information about the conflict from the Palestinian Ambassador to Belarus. Most of the dead were women and children. As of today, 20,000 children have been affected by the conflict.

Speakers decided to send a statement to the UN and international partner organizations.

The participants of the meeting got acquainted with the Regulations on the Observer Status at the IPA CIS. The details of the document were announced by Chair of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Political Issues and International Cooperation, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security of Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aigul Kuspan. The Regulations on the Observer Status at the IPA CIS were approved at the meeting.

At the session of the IPA CIS Council, it was decided that the chairmanship of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Agrarian Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology will be transferred to Kazakhstan.

The Council members supported Valentina Matvienko's proposal to re-elect the head of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, Rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Andrey Rudskoy as the Chair of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Science and Education.

The heads of delegations called for the creation of an Expert Council on Culture at the IPA CIS. It will include representatives of relevant parliamentary committees proposed by the parliaments of the Assembly, academia, experts with special knowledge and significant experience in various industries.

The Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council spoke about the results of the Assembly’s activities in 2023.

Parliamentary delegations were represented to the results of the 9^th International Cultural and Educational Forum “Children of Commonwealth”. Natalya Kochanova proposed to hold the next Forum “Children of the Commonwealth” in Belarus.

Konstantin Kosachev told about the cultural and educational project “Memory Train” this year.

Deputy Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum, Russian Senator Galina Karelova reported on the preparations for the fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum.

Among the innovations of the upcoming events of the Eurasian Women’s Forum in September, Galina Karelova named the holding of the BRICS Women’s Forum. In addition, for the first time, the forum-festival “Women: Preserving Traditions — Developing Russia” will be held.

The session ended with a solemn award ceremony.