The Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly has adopted an appeal by CIS member states in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941−1945.
The IPA CIS Council meeting, convened during the autumn session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth nations in St Petersburg, addressed the matter concerning the Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko was unanimously re-elected to this position.
The meeting was attended by Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova; Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova; Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev; Chair of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev; Speaker of the Majlisi Milli of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan Rustami Emomali; Speaker of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva; and Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan.
In her opening remarks, Valentina Matvienko highlighted the intensive and substantive dialogue among the parliaments of the CIS countries and the successful execution of IPA CIS events in 2024.
The meeting's participants deliberated on prevailing issues within the Commonwealth and the Interparliamentary Assembly, underscoring the organisation's efficacy, the enactment of high-quality model laws, and the significance of both traditional and innovative formats of engagement, including the Eurasian Women's Forum, the Nevsky International Ecological Congress, and the Train of Remembrance cultural and educational project.
CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev elucidated the decisions made by the CIS Council of Heads of State and the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers during their sessions on 7−8 October 2024.
The Council members were apprised of the Russian Federation's chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The IPA CIS Council issued an appeal in observance of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941−1945, presented by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev.
The Appeal emphasised the Council's commitment to bolstering international cooperation in preserving historical memory by maintaining memorials, museums, and archival materials related to the Second World War, conducting collaborative war memorial work to restore the names of Soviet soldiers interred in mass graves, and preventing the destruction of monuments and acts of vandalism against military cemeteries. It also stressed ensuring unhindered access to these sites, regardless of their location. “The glorious anniversary offers a unique opportunity not only to recall the origins of Victory and reflect on the lessons of this pivotal military and political event of the twentieth century but also to comprehend the dire consequences of violence, racial, and religious intolerance. In this context, the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States stands firmly against the state-level rehabilitation of fascism, the activities of neo-Nazi parties, and violence incited by neo-Nazism, racism, and xenophobia, as well as the promotion of Nazi symbols and the use of parliamentary platforms to justify Nazism. It is our sacred duty to the fallen on the battlefields, those tortured in concentration camps, and those who perished from hunger and hardship to defend the truth about the war and the significance of Victory and to decisively oppose those who desecrate the glory of the heroes who vanquished fascism,” the document states.
First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council and Coordinator of the IPA CIS observer group Andrey Yatskin provided a report on the participation of international observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States in monitoring the snap elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
He noted that the IPA CIS group of international observers comprised senators, deputies, and representatives from the highest legislative bodies of six IPA CIS member states: the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as IPA CIS officials and experts from the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism, and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations.
Information was also received regarding the participation of international observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations in monitoring the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In response to relevant invitations, the IPA CIS Council resolved to dispatch observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly to the presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus and the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2025.
The meeting's participants resolved to confer observer status at the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations to the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, the Central American Parliament, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had submitted relevant appeals to the Interparliamentary Assembly.
Member of the Council of the EWF with the Federation Council and Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Yelena Afanaseva reported on the outcomes of the 4th Eurasian Women's Forum. CIS IPA Secretary General Dmitriy Kobitsky reported on the results of the Commonwealth of Fashion and Travel Hub Commonwealth international forums.
During the meeting, information was presented regarding the work of the IPA CIS standing commissions and expert councils.
Organisational matters were discussed, and the action plan of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations for 2025 was agreed upon.
A decision was made to bestow orders and medals, as well as diplomas and badges of honour of the IPA CIS, which will be presented at the plenary session of the Assembly on 22 November.