Senators are ready to promote ties between Russian regions and Republika Srpska.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko held a meeting with Speaker of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Nenad Stevandic.
The meeting was also attended by 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 the Rules of Procedure and Parliamentary Governance Vyacheslav Timchenko, and Russian senators Yelena Afanaseva, Andrey Chernyshev, and Gennady Ordenov.
Valentina Matvienko emphasised that dialogue between the Federation Council and the National Assembly of Republika Srpska was expanding and that their views on global world processes were similar.
“We value the friendship between our brotherly nations, which has stood the test of time,” the Federation Council Speaker said.
“We are very close, culturally and spiritually. We share a common history. We fought Nazism together. In Republika Srpska, the memory of World War II is sacred,” Valentina Matvienko said.
The Federation Council Speaker added that today both chambers of the Russian parliament adopted an appeal to the United Nations, international parliamentary organisations, and parliaments of foreign countries on the 25th anniversary of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.
“The aggression against Yugoslavia remains a tragedy in historical memory for the entire Serbian nation, including the people of Republika Srpska. It is vitally important to ensure that those who allowed those barbaric bombings bear historical responsibility,” Valentina Matvienko noted.
According to Nenad Stevandic, the West is exerting considerable pressure on Republika Srpska, but Russian support helps it resist destructive processes.
Valentina Matvienko drew attention to intensive contacts at all levels, as well as interdepartmental interaction in the economic and cultural spheres.
“We intend to fully promote the practical implementation of the agreements reached between our parliaments,” the Speaker stressed.
“The Federation Council is paying increased attention to promoting interregional ties. Very active and diverse cooperation has been established between Republika Srpska and St Petersburg, as well as Nizhny Novgorod and the Sverdlovsk Region. But it is not only necessary to expand existing ties, but also to create new ones. We are ready to provide comprehensive support to this process,” Valentina Matvienko emphasised.
During the conversation, developments in the Balkans were discussed, as well as the implementation of practical cooperation projects between Russia and Republika Srpska, and cooperation prospects in energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the construction of railway infrastructure. Interaction in the education sphere and humanitarian projects was also touched upon.
Valentina Matvienko invited female deputies of the Republika Srpska National Assembly to take part in the upcoming 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum in St Petersburg on 18−20 September.