The First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council spoke at the APPF Meeting in Manila.
First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin spoke at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) on the topic “Strengthening the capacity of parliaments to promote peace and stability.” The Russian parliamentary delegation, led by the First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, is participating in APPF events in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.
Andrey Yatskin noted that the Russian parliamentarians are conducting an open dialogue at the forum, freely discussing key issues, and, together with their foreign colleagues, are coming to balanced decisions.
According to the First Deputy Speaker, in the context of the emerging multipolar world order, the tasks of ensuring security, strengthening peace and stability require greater unification and consolidation of efforts by states, using the capacity of all those interested in the peaceful and step-by-step progress of mankind. “The most important role in this is played by parliaments, which are the basic element of civil society and play a stabilising role in the entire architecture of international relations.”
“Our country fully promotes the creation of a comprehensive, open and equal architecture of security and cooperation in the region on a collective, non-bloc basis,” the Senator noted.
However, he emphasised that a number of countries are attempting to exclude or limit the participation of Russian delegations at international parliamentary platforms, which contradicts the fundamental principles of democracy, creates artificial barriers, and blocks the productive activity of people’s representatives in the international arena, complicating interaction and undermining the foundations of mutual trust.
“It is unacceptable to impose your values on others. This only provokes tension, aggravates interstate contradictions, and incites national and religious hatred. We believe it is important to cohesively oppose racism and xenophobia, nationalism and neo-Nazism, intolerance and discrimination, including those based on ethnic and linguistic criteria,” said Andrey Yatskin.
The Senator recalled that the Russian delegation initiated a number of proposals as part of six draft resolutions that cover the entire range of regional and international issues.
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On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Andrey Yatskin held a number of bilateral meetings. In particular, he met with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Martin Romualdez, and head of the Russia-Philippines Senate Friendship Group Aquilino Pimentel.
The Russian delegation consists of First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Andrey Denisov, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lyudmila Skakovskaya, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Alexander Trembitsky and member of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Lyudmila Talabayeva, as well as State Duma deputies Sholban Kara-ool, Igor Ananskikh, Dmitry Novikov and Vladimir Plyakin.
Senators and deputies continue to work on the forum’s resolutions as part of the working groups on politics and security, economics and trade, regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, the meeting of women parliamentarians, the drafting committee, and a roundtable discussion group of young parliamentarians.