MINSK, 26 January (BelTA) - The CIS countries are ready to help their partners to defend security and sovereignty in the event of an external threat, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko said opening the spring Federation Council session on 26 January, TASS reported.
"It is very symbolic that the official meeting to mark the anniversary of the CIS Parliamentary Assembly will be held in Kazakhstan, in Almaty. After all, it was in Almaty that the agreement to set up the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly was signed 30 years ago. In my opinion, this attests to the inviolability of the unity of our countries, the friendship between our peoples that grows stronger from year to year. If there is a threat from the outside, then we will stand together, as an unbreakable wall, to defend the security and sovereignty of our partners," the speaker of the upper house said.
According to Valentina Matviyenko, during the spring session the senators will continue to work on inter-parliamentary ties. For example, the upper house will host the seventh inter-parliamentary forum Tajikistan - Russia and the ninth Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus.
"Our efforts to promote inter-parliamentary contacts should be focused on strengthening the institutions of parliamentary diplomacy, on promoting the unifying positive agenda, explaining Russia's position, including on European and global security issues. We also need to work harder to dispel the myths and fake news that they are spreading about our country today," Valentina Matviyenko added.
