The Federation Council Speaker held the Assembly’s 60th plenary session in St Petersburg.
Chair of the CIS IPA Council and Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko chaired the 60th plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Heads of the delegations from the CIS member states took part in the session.
Valentina Matvienko noted that the Assembly had completed the implementation of the Perspective Plan for Model Law-Making in the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2023–2025. “This major model law-making undertaking resulted in drafting 88 documents. Thirteen documents more have been submitted for consideration at today’s plenary session. Taking these into account, the total number of model legislative acts and other regulatory legal documents developed by the CIS IPA will amount to 750.”
The Federation Council Speaker highlighted major events that were held last year, including the international conference, The Great Patriotic War in the Collective Memory of the Commonwealth Nations: The 80th anniversary of Victory, the international forum titled “Commonwealth of Fashion,” and the international scientific conference “Tauride Readings 2025.” “Overall, the year was filled with interesting and notable events, many of which took place as part of the Year of the 80th Anniversary of Victory — Year of Peace and Unity in Combatting Nazism.”
Valentina Matvienko also reported on the outcomes of the CIS IPA Council meeting held the day before.
She noted that by decision of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS, 2026 had been declared Year of Healthcare in the CIS. According to her, healthcare as a whole, including legal regulation in this sphere, remains consistently in the focus of the parliamentarians. “The parliaments of CIS member states have a reliable legal foundation created by the CIS IPA. Our key objective this year is not only to adopt new documents, but also to make the most effective use of the existing potential and ensure its implementation into the national legislation of our respective countries.”
Valentina Matvienko noted that over the years the Assembly has been in existence, over 50 documents directly devoted to protection of social rights and healthcare guarantees have been drafted. For over ten years, the Expert Council on Healthcare, the first of its kind in the CIS IPA, has been operating effectively.
She added that, based on the model law On the Fundamentals of Medical and Social Protection of Citizens with Diabetes, an Agreement on Cooperation of CIS Member States in Combatting the Growing Incidence of Diabetes signed by heads of state in November 2008 was developed.
The Federation Council Speaker noted that a portion of model legislative acts had been drafted in cooperation with international organisations. “Close cooperation links the CIS IPA and the World Health Organization. At present, at the proposal of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, work is underway to draft a model law On the Protection of Citizens’ Health from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and the Consequences of the Use of Tobacco and Other Nicotine-Containing Products, as well as recommendations On the Marketing of Food for Children,” Valentina Matvienko said.
She also drew attention to the model law On Pharmaceutical Provision in CIS Member States. This document implements the key principle of pharmaceutical provision, which should be based on ensuring the safety, efficacy, and accessibility of medicines for everyone. “Given the particular socioeconomic importance of this law, a number of expert sessions were held in Minsk, Bishkek, Astana, and Tashkent. In September, another session — The Model Law on Pharmaceutical Provision: from Adoption to Implementation — will be held in Astana. In addition, the Perspective Plan for Model Law-Making in the Commonwealth includes model laws On Blood Donation and Its Components and On Radiation Safety in Medicine. According to Valentina Matvienko, taking into account the CIS IPA experience, it is planned to develop a Model Healthcare Code.
Speaking about the upcoming CIS anniversary year, she noted that in December 1991 the CIS heads of state made a decision that helped channel the enormous energy of change into peaceful and civilised dialogue. “The Commonwealth played a crucial historical role. It served as a kind of a shock absorber that softened the consequences of the rupture, helped preserve invaluable human capital, unique cooperation chains, and, most importantly, the very fabric of centuries-old fraternal relations.”
Valentina Matvienko pointed out that over the years the CIS had covered a difficult but constructive path going from a mechanism to coordinate the first independent steps into the most representative integration association in Eurasia. “The IPA will continue, in whatever it does, to contribute to the successful development of the Commonwealth of Independent States.”
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov and former Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Medetkan Sherimkulov spoke before the participants of the 60th plenary session of the CIS IPA.
Heads of parliamentary delegations delivered welcome remarks.
Chair of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova stressed the importance of both planned activities and the development of new initiatives by the Assembly. In her view, the CIS IPA continues to serve as an effective platform for regular interparliamentary dialogue.
Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan noted consistent efforts to strengthen interparliamentary cooperation. According to him, Armenia attaches great importance to the Organisation’s work.
Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova said that joint work within the Assembly and existing experience made it possible for the Commonwealth to move forward.
Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev said that over the years the Interparliamentary Assembly had become one of the most respected and valuable dialogue platforms in Eurasia.
According to Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Marlen Mamataliyev the Assembly plays an important role in building an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding between states and contributes to the formation of a common legal space within the CIS.
Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan Fayzali Idizoda emphasised that the model laws and recommendations reflect a systematic approach to shaping the legal environment within the Commonwealth.
Chair of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva noted that over the years the CIS IPA has become an important platform for strengthening parliamentary diplomacy.
Chairwoman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan Dünýagözel Gulmanova expressed confidence that interstate and interparliamentary cooperation will continue to expand consistently across all areas.
Other speakers included Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States Ramil Gasan and Head of the Regional Delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus Frank Morhauer. A video address was delivered by SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev.
The plenary session participants held a theme-based discussion titled “Year of Healthcare in the Commonwealth of Independent States: Coordinated policy and national strategies.”
Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko emphasised that the CIS countries’ medical systems shared a common foundation in the form of the Nikolai Semashko’s historical healthcare model. “Our medical schools are bound by decades of joint scientific research and shared victories over diseases. We are in a position to preserve the health of the people residing within the borders of our macro-region.”
The Minister stated that the CIS countries were connected by a strong network of agreements. “More than 880 cooperation agreements are currently in force between institutions of healthcare ministries and medical research and educational organisations of CIS countries. We base our work on equality, solidarity, and respect for national priorities.”
According to Mikhail Murashko, mutual support in personnel training and the creation of specialised centres, as well as the introduction of digital solutions and the promotion of healthy lifestyle are a common mission of the CIS countries.
Deputy CIS Secretary-General Nurlan Seitimov, Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Belarus Boris Androsyuk, Chair of the Expert Council on Healthcare under the CIS IPA and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury Shcherbuk also spoke on this agenda item. Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Hans Kluge delivered a video address.
During the session, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova presented draft Recommendations on the regulatory framework for the development and support of young talents for CIS member states. The senator said the document established a unified conceptual framework, set out principles and core objectives for building national talent support systems, defined priority areas of legal regulation, and proposed measures and forms of support ranging from grants and scholarships to mentoring systems and public information platforms, as well as clarified the division of authority between legal actors.
Lilia Gumerova emphasised that the Recommendations will enable CIS member states to build a unified, clear and effective system for working with young talents from the time they are identified at school to their professional realisation and integration into the economies of their respective countries.
During the discussion of the revised version of the model law On the Status of the Commissioner for Human Rights, one of the authors of the document, Tatyana Moskalkova, took the floor. In her view, the document opens a new chapter in the activity of national independent human rights institutions. “Today, a new model for the protection, observance and respect of human rights and freedoms has in fact been created.”
Secretary-General of the Council of the CIS IPA Dmitry Kobitsky spoke about the Perspective Plan for Model Law-Making in the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2026–2028.
In addition, the participants considered model laws relating to contracts for the transfer of property for use, for the performance of work and provision of services, as well as laws on other types of contracts, revised versions of the laws On the Status of the Commissioner for Human Rights and On the Protection of Children from Information that is Harmful to Their Health and Development.
The participants also discussed a revised version of the Model Land Code for CIS Member States, model legislative initiatives on strategic planning, platform employment, and combatting domestic violence.