The Federation Council Speaker held a meeting with Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko had a meeting with Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev who arrived in Russia on an official visit. They discussed ways to develop Russia-Kyrgyzstan relations and the future of interparliamentary ties.
Valentina Matvienko said that intense contacts, as well as frequent forums and meetings at various levels between Russia and Kyrgyzstan demonstrated their shared commitment to stepping up their strategic partnership and allied relations. The Federation Council Speaker emphasised the fact that the presidents of the two countries supported efforts to expand and promote interparliamentary ties.
She went on to say that the Speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament arrived in Russia ahead of the visit by the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, who is expected to take part in commemorations of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. This year, a monument to the fallen Kyrgyz soldiers is scheduled to be unveiled near Rzhev on 9 May. “The lessons of the Great Patriotic War must guide future generations,” the Federation Council Speaker noted.
Valentina Matvienko said she believed that Russia and Kyrgyzstan must close ranks in the face of the growing pressure from the collective West and attempts to erase the memory of the feat accomplished by the peoples of the USSR to save humankind from Nazism, as well as attempts to rewrite history. “This is an important topic for our interparliamentary dialogue,” she said, adding that the CIS designated 2025 as the Year of 80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War – Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight Against Nazism. It is high time that preparations for this year get underway, she went on to say.
In his remarks, Nurlanbek Shakiev noted that the two countries were on the same page in developing their cooperation, including on economic matters. “Kyrgyzstan has been and still is Russia’s reliable partner,” he said, adding that injecting momentum into interparliamentary cooperation could become an important element in expanding relations between the two countries in general.
The two speakers discussed Kyrgyzstan’s 2023 chairmanship in the Commonwealth of Independent States, including preparations for the IPA CIS Council offsite session and the autumn session of the IPA Assembly which are scheduled to take place in Bishkek.
The Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh described IPA CIS as a prominent and influential body within the CIS as well as internationally.
The participants in the meeting also discussed the Interparliamentary Commission for Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, reaffirming their commitment to holding its next regular meeting in Kyrgyzstan.
The Federation Council Speaker thanked her Kyrgyz colleagues for supporting joint projects on patriotic education which seek to preserve the shared past of the two countries, as exemplified this year by the Memory Train cultural and educational project. “Travelling on this train will become a memorable event for youngsters and an important experience that will give them a lot of authentic emotions and help forge strong bonds of friendship,” Valentina Matvienko pointed out.
Valentina Matvienko and Nurlanbek Shakiev exchanged views on the Children of the Commonwealth International Cultural and Educational Forum of the CIS Member States, which is held annually at Jogorku Kenesh’s initiative with IPA CIS support.
The Federation Council Speaker invited a delegation from Kyrgyzstan to take part in the 10th Anniversary Neva Environmental Congress to be held on 25 and 26 May in St Petersburg.
During the meeting, the participants also discussed the teaching and use of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. “The CIS declared 2023 as the Year of the Russian Language as Language of Interethnic Communication among its Nations. This initiative will promote consolidation across the post-Soviet space,” Valentina Matvienko pointed out.
Taking part in the meeting were Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Alexander Dvoinykh, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs Andrei Shevchenko, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Inna Svyatenko, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Irina Rukavishnikova, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lyudmila Skakovskaya, and Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Farit Mukhametshin.