Today, the heads of the parliamentary delegations of the Commonwealth countries held a meeting of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in the Tauride Palace.
The event was opened by the Chairman of the IPA CIS Council, Chairman Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko.
The meeting was attended by the heads of parliamentary delegations: Chairman of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalia Kochanova, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Igor Sergeenko, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Shakiyev, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Majlisi Oli Tajik Mahmadtoir Zoir Zokirzoda, Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva.
The First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma also participated in the work of the Council Ivan Melnikov, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aigul Kuspan, Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Dmitry Kobitsky, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Leonid Anfimov.
Much attention was paid at the Council meeting to monitoring electoral processes in the Commonwealth.
The parliamentarians discussed the results of monitoring the early presidential elections of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024. The details were presented by the coordinators of the IPA CIS observer groups – Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Zhakip Asanov.
Sahiba Gafarova thanked the observers from the IPA CIS for the work done. “Everything was done by the state bodies to ensure that the elections were transparent, which observers could verify,” she said.
“Monitoring is not only an important area of the Assembly’s activities, but also an opportunity for parliamentarians who are part of observer groups to share their experience,” she added Valentina Matvienko.
The coordinator of the IPA CIS observer group, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, spoke about the participation of international observers from the Assembly in monitoring the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Konstantin Kosachev.
Natalia Kochanova noted the high professionalism of the observers and their objective assessment.
The heads of the Council heard information about the participation of international observers from the IPA CIS in monitoring the presidential elections of the Russian Federation from the coordinator of the group, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly on Legislation and State Building Mikhail Rusogo.
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 international observers from the IPA CIS will monitor the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The coordinator of the observer group will be a representative of the Kyrgyz Republic.
“Your valuable recommendations and suggestions on improving our electoral system are important to us,” she said Tanzila Narbayeva.
Also, observers from the IPA CIS are preparing to monitor the early elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, scheduled for September 1.
Valentina Matvienko suggested Konstantin Kosachev will lead a group of observers from the Assembly at the upcoming election campaign in Azerbaijan.
The meeting participants adopted a Statement by the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the situation in the Gaza Strip of the State of Palestine. The document was presented by a member of the IPA CIS Standing Committee on Political Issues and International Cooperation, a Russian senator Grigory Karasin.
According to him, the long-standing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been a source of regional and international disagreement for more than seven decades. The violence suffered by Israeli civilians on October 7 last year has no justification.
“Today, a catastrophic humanitarian situation has developed in the Gaza Strip, where, contrary to all the resolutions adopted demanding an immediate ceasefire, the ruthless military operation of the Israel Defense Forces continues. The situation in Gaza is deteriorating every day,” the senator said.
Grigory Karasin stressed that the Statement is one of the steps designed to show that the parliamentarians 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 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 within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel.
Natalia Kochanova noted that she regularly receives information about the conflict from the Palestinian Ambassador to Belarus. Most of the dead are women and children. As of today, 20,000 children have been affected by the conflict. The members of the Council of the Republic have repeatedly called on the parties involved to cease fire and diplomatic regulation. Belarus fully supports the Statement, the speaker of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament stressed.
The 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 the Chairman of the Permanent Commission of the IPA CIS on Political Issues and International Cooperation, Chairman of the Committee of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan on International Affairs, Defense and Security Aigul Kuspan.
Observer status may be granted to the national Parliament or an international organization that has expressed interest in cooperation and establishing contacts with the IPA CIS, taking into account the Charter of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Convention of the Assembly.
The regulation on the observer status at the IPA CIS was approved at the meeting.
The representative of the Parliament of Kazakhstan also spoke about the preparations for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Valentina Matvienko thanked her colleagues for their support of the presented plan and active participation in its formation. “I hope that we will still actively join in the implementation of the planned plan, and the events of the plan will be reflected in our business calendars,” the Chairman of the Council said.
The participants of the meeting heard information about the work of the Permanent commissions of the IPA CIS on political issues and international cooperation and on defense and security issues. The chairmen of the commissions are Aigul Kuspan and a member of the State Duma Committee on Defense of the Federal Assembly Viktor Zavarzin — identified the model documents developed in the commissions, which are of the most important importance for the development of international cooperation and strengthening security in the CIS countries, harmonization of legislation of the states of the region.
At the meeting of the Assembly Council, it was decided that the chairmanship of the IPA CIS Standing Committee on Agrarian Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology will be transferred to Kazakhstan.
The Council members supported the proposal Valentina Matvienko to re-elect Andrei Rudsky, 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, as Chairman of the Expert Council on Science and Education at the IPA CIS.
The heads of delegations called for the creation of an Expert Council on Culture under the IPA CIS. It will include representatives of relevant parliamentary committees proposed by the parliaments of the Assembly member countries, scientists, specialists and 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.
The results of the ninth international cultural and educational forum of the CIS member states “Children of the Commonwealth” were presented to the parliamentary delegations.
This year, the forum was held on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Cholpon-Ata of the Kyrgyz Republic from June 25 to July 4. Schoolchildren from seven CIS countries — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – took part.
Natalia Kochanova proposed to hold the next forum “Children of the Commonwealth” in Belarus.
About how the cultural and educational project “Memory Train” took place this year, he told Konstantin Kosachev.
Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum, Russian Senator Galina Karelova reported on the preparations for the fourth EZHF.
According to her, the interest of the international women’s community in the dialogue is high, and representatives of more than 90 countries have already confirmed their willingness to come to St. Petersburg. “The theme of the forum “Women for Confidence-building and Global Cooperation” will be discussed on five thematic platforms dedicated to international cooperation, sustainable economic development, the development of new technologies, ensuring a healthy lifestyle and environmental safety, and promoting social innovations.
Galina Karelova named the holding of the BRICS Women’s Forum among the innovations of the upcoming EZHF events in September. In addition, for the first time, the forum-festival “Women for the Preservation of Traditions” will be held on the sidelines of the forum.
“We are counting on the highest level of delegations. This will contribute to the development of cooperation between the countries, ensure the development of balanced decisions and facilitate their implementation,” the senator said.
