A delegation of the Federation Council is taking part in the 140th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
A delegation of the Federation Council headed by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Iliyas Umakhanov is taking part in the 140th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in Doha, Qatar.
The delegation includes First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Andrei Klimov, and member of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Yelena Afanasyeva.
During the 140th IPU Assembly, Iliyas Umakhanov spoke about parliament as a platform for promoting education in the interests of peace, security and the rule of law. “In the modern world, inter-parliamentary interaction is becoming increasingly important,” he said. “The cooperation of the CIS IPA with the IPU, UN agencies and other international organisations as part of environmental forums, women’s forums, and conferences on countering terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking has proved its relevance over the years.”
According to him, the parliamentary system broadcasts the values of democracy and the rule of law to society, helps improve trust between countries, and promotes the search for appropriate responses to existing challenges and threats. “The Russian Federation traditionally stands for honest and open dialogue on all, even the most complicated, issues on the international agenda,” he said. “We are convinced that the education system is where genuine values of equality and justice that are fundamental to modern society are laid down.”
Iliyas Umakhanov noted that culture and education were the best vaccine against the ideology of terrorism and extremism, and an antidote to manifestations of all forms of radicalism. Education and upbringing not only provide a profession and social adaptation, but also instill a sense of tolerance and respect for human dignity, participation in strengthening peace, security and the rule of law.
The Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council said that on 1 January 2019, the new large-scale national project Education was launched in Russia. “The parliament has been directly involved in developing it,” he said. “The goal is to preserve and consolidate the global competitiveness of Russian education among the 10 leading countries and to give an additional boost to technology development in the country.”
Iliyas Umakhanov pointed out that Russia was among the most multi-ethnic and multi-faith countries in the world and home to 193 ethnicities. Many of them speak their native languages. “It is very important for us to preserve and maintain this language heritage, which is part of our cultural assets.”
In this regard, the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council said that in accordance with a presidential directive, the Foundation for the Preservation and Study of the Native Languages of the Peoples of the Russian Federation was established this year, which was declared the International Year of Indigenous Languages by the UN. A law was adopted that gave students the opportunity to receive education in their native language from among the languages spoken by the peoples of Russia. The Foundation is engaged in a wide range of activities, including training, developing methodologies and providing textbooks and manuals on the languages that are currently used in school curricula. There are 24 such languages, including Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian. Another 81 languages are studied as a discipline. “Equal access to education for all Russian citizens is provided at the legislative level and in practice,” he said.
Iliyas Umakhanov pointed out that developing the export potential of the Russian education system was one of the areas included in the national project. “We are interested in boosting academic mobility, intensifying student and academic exchanges between countries, and increasing the number of universities and educational programmes that have passed international accreditation.”
The Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council noted that the Russian parliament promoted the development of science and education, including by protecting the results of intellectual activities. “Education is a ticket to a peaceful and prosperous future,” Iliyas Umakhanov said. “We are confident that inter-parliamentary interaction and cooperation will help our countries achieve success in the branches of science that determine the course of progress.”