MINSK, 30 January (BelTA) – The MPs of the CIS states need to promote the interests of the Commonwealth of Independent States in the international arena more actively, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko said at the meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to Belarus Mahmadsharif Mahmud Haqdod on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
This year Tajikistan is presiding in the CIS. Vladimir Andreichenko met with the ambassador to discuss the prospects of the CIS, including the cooperation of the parliaments of countries in the international arena. “We need to jointly defend and, most importantly, promote our common interests and the interests of each state on international platforms,” the speaker said.
The chairman of the House of Representatives added that Belarus is happy to know that during its chairmanship in the CIS Tajikistan will attach great attention to improving the work of the CIS bodies. “It is important for the CIS not only to have a dialogue, but also take practical measures aimed at improving our relations and the lives of our people,” Vladimir Andreichenko said. In his opinion, it is equally important to improve model legislation, increase the number of model laws that are introduced into national legislation. The speaker is confident that the CIS MPs need to pay more attention to the promising areas such as digital economy, nano- and biotechnology, and investments.
The meeting also focused on the development of bilateral relations. Vladimir Andreichenko stated that friendship groups were established in the parliaments of Belarus and Tajikistan. The speaker believes that they need to work more proactively. “It would be great if in the near future they could work out an agreement on cooperation between the parliaments of Belarus and Tajikistan,” the chairman of the House of Representatives said.
MPs should make their contribution to the development of trade and economic relations, mutual trade turnover. “There are many areas where we still can do a lot: culture, education, and the legal framework of the relations,” Vladimir Andreichenko said. Today, the two states have nearly 60 bilateral documents, with 15 more in the pipeline. Vladimir Andreichenko suggested that the MPs of Belarus and Tajikistan should promote the signing of these documents during the exhibition of Belarusian goods in Dushanbe in spring.
The diplomat supported the proposal of Vladimir Andreichenko to activate cooperation of parliamentary friendship groups, whose potential is still hugely untapped in what concerns the development of bilateral relations. Mahmadsharif Mahmud Haqdod stressed that as the ambassador he would make every effort to enhance the interaction between Belarus and Tajikistan, find new points of growth in bilateral cooperation.
Photo by Gennady Zhinkov
