MINSK, 20 October (BelTA) – The role of parliamentary diplomacy in maintaining peace and trust is incrementally increasing, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Igor Sergeyenko said during a dialogue session with parliamentary delegations representing member states of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane, Laos. The session was held under the theme “The Role of Parliaments in Enhancing Connectivity and Inclusive Growth of ASEAN”, BelTA has learned.
“Sustainable peace and development are essential for the future of the planet and all of humanity. The role of parliamentary diplomacy in supporting countries' efforts to expand interstate cooperation in the interests of peace and trust is steadily growing. It is parliamentarians who represent the entire spectrum of political and public forces in their countries. I am convinced that we need to maintain dialogue and contacts in order to promote further integration and inclusive growth,” the speaker noted.
The most important transport routes between Europe and Asia go through the territory of Belarus. The geographical location of the country was one of the reasons for its choice of a multi-vector foreign policy, emphasized Igor Sergeyenko. “We are developing balanced constructive relations with partners in various regions of the world; we are guided by the principles of peacefulness, equality and mutual respect. We are the country that can develop and implement unifying initiatives,” the chairman of the House of Representatives added.
A reminder, the Belarusian parliamentary delegation headed by Chairman of the House of Representatives Igor Sergeyenko is paying an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (AIPA) was established in 1977. Currently, ASEAN has 10 member states: Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. The AIPA has 23 observers. The parliament of Belarus received the observer status in September 2011 in Phnom Penh (Kingdom of Cambodia) at the 32nd AIPA General Assembly. This gave Belarus an access to a platform for a permanent dialogue with the member countries of the organization on economic, political, social and humanitarian issues. Belarusian MPs regularly participate in events organized by the AIPA, including the annual AIPA General Assembly.
Photos courtesy of the press service of the House of Representatives
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