Talks were held with the heads of Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai delegations.
First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin held a number of bilateral meetings with foreign participants on the sidelines of the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress.
Those taking part in the meeting with Vice Chair of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Head of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Group at the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Khac Dinh included First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Alexei Mayorov, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Irina Rukavishnikova, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs Dmitry Kuzmin, and member of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Gennady Ordenov.
During the talks, the first deputy speaker of the Federation Council noted that the two countries were connected by long-term ties of friendship and mutual support.
“An important factor in promoting the entire range of Russian-Vietnamese relations is a constructive and meaningful political dialogue at the highest and high levels,” Andrey Yatskin said. At the same time, the senator added, the parliamentary dialogue between the supreme legislative bodies of Russia and Vietnam is an integral part and an important component of bilateral cooperation.
Andrey Yatskin stressed the attitude of the Russian parliamentarians for further close contacts both in a bilateral format and on international platforms, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, the Meeting of Speakers of the Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments, as well as at events of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
In response, Vice Chair of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Khac Dinh expressed his thanks for the invitation to take part in the work of the Congress and emphasised the importance of his future visit to St Petersburg to take part in events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the arrival of President Ho Chi Minh in Petrograd.
“The memory of the help given by the Soviet people to Vietnam, of the Vietnamese people’s suffering and sacrifices is the foundation for educating the younger generations in the spirit of patriotism and close friendship between our nations,” Nguyen Khac Dinh stressed.
Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation was the main topic of the meeting with First Deputy Speaker of the Regional Representative Council of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia Nono Sampono.
Taking part in the meeting also were Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, Representative of the Executive Authority of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Head of the Federation Council Cooperation Group with Regional Representative Council of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia Lilia Gumerova, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Andrey Denisov, and First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Alexei Mayorov.
“Indonesia is one of Russia’s leading partners in the Asia-Pacific region. For more than seven decades, a solid contractual and legal framework has been formed, at the core of which is the Declaration on the Foundations of Friendly and Partnership Relations in the 21st Century, signed in 2003,” Andrey Yatskin noted.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council considers the meetings useful and effective for the relevant committees. In turn, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova proposed intensifying the mutual exchange of experience in educational activities, including the implementation of activities of the Eco Schoolchildren — Defenders of Nature movement.
The parties also touched upon trade, economic, and cultural cooperation.
During the meeting with Singsuk Singpai, First Vice President of the Senate of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Thailand, Andrey Yatskin noted that this country was Russia’s oldest partner in Southeast Asia.
“Last year we marked the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries.”
Taking part in the meeting were Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on the Budget and Financial Markets Andrei Yepishin, member of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Gennady Ordenov, and Head of the Federation Council Executive Office Gennady Golov.
Andrey Yatskin expressed readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation within the group formed in the Federation Council for cooperation with the Senate of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Thailand.
According to the First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, the interaction of legislative bodies plays an important role in strengthening Russian-Thai interstate relations: “Parliamentary dialogue must remain open under any circumstances.”
The Thai side also confirmed its intention to expand contacts via the friendship group.
During the meeting, Singsuk Singpai expressed gratitude to the Russian side for the opportunity to train students from Thailand in Russia.
Andrey Yatskin invited representatives of Thailand to take part in the Games of the Future international project scheduled to take place in Kazan in 2024.