The Federation Council Deputy Speaker delivered his remarks at the plenary session of the 39th session of the Assembly of the Parliaments of Latin American and Caribbean States (PARLATINO) in Panama City.
Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev noted that the principles of peaceful coexistence between states, international arbitration of disputes, and respect for national sovereignty, first articulated at the Congress of Panama in 1826, remain relevant today, particularly for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We firmly support the idea of maintaining the region as a zone of peace, as proclaimed at the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Havana in 2014,” the parliamentarian said.
According to Konstantin Kosachev, in recent years, interest in diplomacy as a tool for peacebuilding has grown.
“The role and significance of parliamentary diplomacy is also increasing. The Federal Assembly of Russia actively engages in such efforts, including in Latin America,” he stressed.
The deputy speaker recalled that cooperation agreements were signed between the Russian parliament and PARLATINO in 2013, and between PARLATINO and the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in 2003: “Russian legislators are interested in further strengthening these ties,” he emphasised.
Konstantin Kosachev also noted the growing importance of Latin America and the Caribbean in an emerging multipolar world order.
“We regard this process as an irreversible trend in the development of a more democratic world order. We are ready to expand cooperation with our Latin American partners on a pragmatic and non-ideological basis in all areas of mutual interest,” Konstantin Kosachev said, welcoming the expansion of dialogue within international and regional platforms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The Deputy Speaker also highlighted that the Federation Council currently has ten cooperation groups with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: “We are ready to work together to strengthen international legal principles based on shared goals and values.”
PARLATINO, established in 1964, serves as a pan-regional parliamentary forum uniting 23 Spanish-speaking member states, as well as Brazil, Suriname, and three constituent entities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
PARLATINO promotes the strengthening of democratic trends in the region, democracy, human rights, and the principles of sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The 39th regular Assembly of PARLATINO was attended by delegations from 17 member states, alongside observers such as Morocco, Türkiye, and China, with Russia participating as a special guest.
Konstantin Kosachev held seven bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly: with representatives of the Republic of Cuba, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the United Mexican States, the Republic of Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Nicaragua, and the Republic of Colombia.
Discussions focused on prospects for establishing and expanding interparliamentary cooperation, including the creation of friendship groups and coordination within international parliamentary organisations.
Special attention was also given to developments in Latin America, particularly in Cuba and Venezuela, as well as to the situation in the Middle East.