The Federation Council Speaker addressed the International Parliamentary Conference, 30th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, in Dushanbe.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko delivered remarks at the ongoing International Parliamentary Conference, 30th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, in Dushanbe.
The event was opened by Chairman of the Majlisi Milli of the Republic of Tajikistan Rustami Emomali. Leaders and representatives from the parliaments of Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Turkmenistan addressed the participants.
Valentina Matvienko noted that the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan was a significant event that defined the future of Tajikistan as a unified, sovereign, secular, and democratic state.
“The Constitution of Tajikistan was born in challenging conditions amid a crisis. Its adoption was necessary in order to, primarily, achieve national accord, to establish peace and a normal life for the people of the Republic and the functioning of government bodies.”
The experience of other countries, including Russia, was studied when drafting the Constitution, Valentina Matvienko noted. The document incorporated norms from international legal acts and took into account the national and cultural specifics of the peoples of Tajikistan.
Respect, equality, and friendship among all peoples are among the key principles of the Republic’s constitutional structure, the Federation Council Speaker emphasised. “The country’s main political and legal document has incorporated everything that is most valuable and progressive, fortified Tajikistan’s state independence and authority around the world, and laid a solid foundation for stability, national unity, and the country’s development under new conditions.”
In Valentina Matvienko’s view, the Constitution of Tajikistan remains the country’s reliable legal foundation, upon which all of the Republic’s current legislation is built. She emphasised the significant personal contribution of the President of Tajikistan, “As historical events have shown, his election as head of state played a key role in ensuring the national balance of interests and building a strong foundation for statehood, as well as in forming and developing Tajikistan’s parliamentarianism. I am confident that future generations will highly appreciate his role in this process.”
The opening of the new Parliament building in Tajikistan these days is a powerful symbol of respect for the main institution of parliamentarianism, a sign that the country’s leadership and society value the role of the parliament as the highest representative and legislative body, Valentina Matvienko said.
Touching upon bilateral relations, the Federation Council Speaker noted that they were steadily developing based on strategic partnership and alliance. “The fact that the Russian people and the people of Tajikistan share close legal foundations such as equal rights for men and women, free access to education and careers, the family as the foundation of society, and traditional values, and that our states have a clear social focus makes bilateral cooperation more productive. In the context of geopolitical instability, we are working together to find answers to modern challenges and threats. We focus greatly on our cooperation in ensuring regional security, fighting terrorism, extremism, transnational crime, and drug trafficking.”
Russia is interested in strong Tajikistan, because only strong Tajikistan can guarantee stability for the entire Central Asian region, Valentina Matvienko emphasised.
Cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, which is actively supported by parliamentarians, is an important part of bilateral relations, the Federation Council Speaker said. “We appreciate the Tajik side’s careful attention to teaching the Russian language in the Republic and are grateful for the fact that the status of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication is enshrined in Tajikistan at the constitutional level.”
This is important not only for Russia and Tajikistan, but for the rest post-Soviet space as well, the Federation Council Speaker said. “We have a language of interethnic communication, and we don’t need translators, both in literal and figurative sense.”
Today, as part of this area of cooperation, projects such as “Russian Teacher Abroad,” the opening, with the involvement of the presidents of both countries, of general education schools in Tajikistan with instruction in Russian, and the provision of quotas for study at Russian universities are being implemented.
Valentina Matvienko also highlighted the significant growth of mutual tourism. “I am confident that trips, meetings, and visits to historical sites lead to cultural enrichment and help us better understand one another.”
Speaking about modern geopolitical realities, the emergence of new global threats and challenges, Valentina Matvienko said that these particular conditions help us truly realise the fundamental role of the Constitution as a symbol of strength and independence, and as the foundation of sustainable development for the state and society. “We can withstand the current geopolitical turbulence only if we stand together,” the Federation Council Speaker said.
She wished the Republic of Tajikistan and its people well-being, continued successful development, progress, and prosperity and expressed confidence that the discussions during the conference would enrich the constitutional experience of all the participating countries.
Members of the Federation Council delegation will participate in theme-based panel discussions dedicated to the role of the head of state in developing and adopting the constitution, the development of national statehood, women’s rights and freedoms, and youth policy.
Prior to the conference, Valentina Matvienko laid flowers at the monument to Ismoil Somoni.
The Federation Council Speaker was given a tour of the new Parliament building of the Republic of Tajikistan.