A Federation Council delegation takes part in the 44th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA)
MPs from the AIPA countries met with a Federation Council delegation on the theme “Parliamentary Cooperation: Shared Commitments for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity” during the 44thGeneral Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) that took place in Jakarta on August 5–10.
The Federation Council delegation included First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Andrey Denisov (head of the delegation), member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets Tatiana Sakharova, and member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Andrey Chernyshev.
Representatives of the ASEAN countries in the discussion (Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines) fully supported Russia’s position. Under Russia’s position, inter-parliamentary cooperation is an important channel of communication that should be kept open, and it is important to use the opportunities here for regular and equitable dialogue between MPs for discussing a broad range of global and regional issues.
Speaking on behalf of the Russian Parliament, Andrey Denisov noted that the professional experience of lawmakers and their ability to find a balance of interests and compromises in difficult situations were stabilising the system of international relations by making it predictable and sustainable.
The senator expressed serious concern about the restrictive and discriminatory practices of some states towards lawmakers.
“The use of politically-motivated sanctions against members of national parliaments and the obstruction of full participation by parliamentary delegations in the work of related international associations contradicts the fundamental principles of democracy, creates artificial barriers in inter-parliamentary communication, and blocks productive work in the international arena. Russian parliamentary diplomacy is characterized by an extensive geography of relations and the intention to resolve pressing problems of global development in line with the standards and principles of international law,” said Andrey Denisov.
During the dialogue, the MPs discussed the functioning of the Russia-ASEAN multilateral format and bilateral cooperation. In turn, representatives of the ASEAN countries described the most important aspects of their cooperation with the Russian Federation and qualified it as a valuable partner.
Russian MPs discussed bilateral issues in more detail during their meetings with the national delegations of Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia on the sidelines of the AIPA General Assembly.
Participants in the meeting in the People’s Consultative Council with Deputy Chair of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Nono Sampono noted the high level of inter-parliamentary interaction and confirmed the intention of both parties to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in the fuel and energy and oil-and-gas sectors, space, agriculture, culture, and sports. The Russian delegation emphasised the importance of using national currencies in international transactions.
In a conversation with Rajendra Aryal, Representative for Indonesia and Timor Leste and Liaison Official for ASEAN at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Russian delegates discussed issues of food and microbiological security and mineral fertiliser supplies to Southeast Asian countries. They explained the reasons for Russia’s decision to discontinue its participation in the grain deal and said Russia was ready to resume it as soon as the terms of the Russian part of the deal were fulfilled. The senators urged FAO to help create mechanisms for Russian fertiliser exports to other countries. Andrey Denisov told his Indonesian colleagues that Russia was expecting a bumper grain crop and would be ready to export 50 million tonnes of grain and send humanitarian grain supplies to the countries in need.
Women’s issues were also discussed at the meetings. The senators invited their female colleagues to enhance their interaction with the Eurasian Women’s Forum.
Following the 44th AIPA General Assembly, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Puan Maharani handed over the Presidency of the ASEAN AIPA for 2024 to her Lao counterpart, President of the National Assembly of Laos and Speaker of the Lao parliament, Xaysomphone Phomvihane. The 45th ASEAN AIPA will take place in Vientiane in 2024.