MOSCOW, 28 June (BelTA) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus and Russia Union and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization arranged the parliamentary hearings on the role of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing topical issues on international agenda in St. Petersburg on 29 June, BelTA learned from the press service of the Parliamentary Assembly.
“The participants acknowledged the special role of parliamentary diplomacy in ensuring the presentation of all views and opinions of voters, maintaining direct political dialogue between the legislatures of sovereign states. Note was taken of the achievements of the Union State which was hailed as an example of deepest integration in the post-Soviet space coupled with respect for national interests,” the press service informed.
The ever-increasing role of the CSTO in ensuring the security of the participating states was highlighted. “Attention was directed to the persistent attempts of certain Western states to ignore or unilaterally interpret the rules of international law, destroy the basic elements of the modern architecture of stability in Eurasia and in the world. The participants highlighted the facts of information and psychological warfare, military build-up of NATO in the Eastern European region, the desire to preserve the hotbed of instability in Ukraine, the potential threat to destabilize the situation in the Caucasus region, actions of terrorist and extremist organizations on the borders of the states in the Central Asia region of collective security of the CSTO,” the press service noted.
Following the parliamentary hearings the MPs have prepared the draft recommendations which highlight the special mission of inter-parliamentary cooperation in addressing pressing issues on the international agenda and monitoring the compliance with the international law. They also welcome the active involvement of national parliaments in shaping the positions and promoting certain decisions by states and international organizations. “The draft document expresses concern over the determination of individual states to associate the activities of international parliamentary and inter-parliamentary organizations with exclusive national interests. The document expresses the belief that attempts to solve domestic problems within the framework of international organizations are unacceptable. It notes that direct dialogue of MPs can help preserve trust and ties between peoples, and not let the unilateral sanctions imposed in violation of the international law, including against MPs, to destroy interstate relations,” the press service added.
The event was attended by the MPs from Belarus, Russia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus and Russia Union, CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Foreign Ministry of Russia, experts in international relations, head of the research institutes, political scientists and representatives of mass media.
