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On March 27 the parliamentary delegation led by the RA National Assembly Speaker Samvel Nikoyan took part in the Jubilee Session of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (IPA) of the Commonwealth Independent States (CIS) on the Kazakh city of Almaty.
Before the beginning of the sitting the heads of the delegations laid flowers at the memorial obelisk of Independence.
Opening the sitting the Speaker of the RF Federal Council and Head of the IPA CIS Chair Valentina Matvienko presented the important initiatives and works that the Assembly had carried out during the past twenty years. It was noted in particular that the structure had directed its main activity to the rapprochement and harmonization of the legislative field of the CIS member countries. The IPA CIS had actively taken part in the integration processes in the territory of Cooperation. It was noted that the parliamentary delegations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) participant countries within the IPA CIS framework had consistently discussed the legislative issues of that treaty, and from the 2006 a decision had been made about the creation of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. One of the most important functions of the IPA CIS has been the peaceful activity, which includes not only the elaboration of the legal bases of the regional conflicts settlement, but also implementation of direct peaceful events in the hot points of Cooperation. One of the most important events is the Protocol, the only political document by now providing the ceasefire regime in Nagorno Karabakh, signed in Bishkek in 1994.
During the sitting the heads of the participant parliamentary delegations have delivered speeches, representatives of other international parliamentary structures addressed congratulatory words on the occasion of the jubilee. Particularly, in the name of the BSEC IPA, where Armenia moderates, the NA deputy, Deputy Chairman of the BSEC IPA Areg Ghukasyan, also presenting the work done under the RA presidency. He said that the 39th plenary meeting of the BSEC General Assembly will be held in Yerevan on May 22-24.
The RA National Assembly Speaker Samvel Nikoyan gave a speech at the jubilee sitting of the IPA CIS Council.
Below we present the speech:
Dear Mrs Chairperson,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
With respect to history and time twenty years is not a long term, but it is a significant period in general for our countries and peoples, Commonwealth Independent States.
The creation of a new national qualitative legislative-legal system was the very actual and generalized problem for all independent states being newly shaped 20 years ago. In fact, we all understood that in conditions of absence of appropriate human resources and necessary resources it would be difficult to overcome that problem alone. At the same time it was understandable that the creation of such legal field, which would correspond the new economic and political realities, under conditions of humanitarian firm relations it is only possible uniting the efforts of the parliaments of the CIS countries.
The very Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (IPA) of the CIS became the sphere, where, combining the general opportunities and potential we could effectively cooperate and solve the problems in coordinated way.
At the preliminary phase the model legislation complied with the account to peculiarities of the CIS member countries was of great importance. The result is evident, when we estimate the volume of the implemented amendments in the legislative field of the CIS countries, which is now harmonious with the norms and requirements of the international law. With this respect the role and the importance of the IPA CIS is difficult to overestimate.
Besides due to the work done in the elaboration of the draft laws of the model documents in the IPA Permanent Commissions a big experience of legislative professional activity was accumulated. Besides, the joint work, the frequent meetings, the continuous contacts with the counterparts also contributed to the establishment and reinforcement of the Commonwealth, organization of inter-parliamentary wide-scale activity.
Dear colleagues,
It will be unfair not to mention in the Jubilee sitting the IPA CIS peacekeepers mission, not to remember about the important contribution of the Assembly in signing the Bishkek Protocol among Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, due to which in May 1994 it was succeeded to reach ceasefire.
Dear colleagues,
The RA National Assembly actively cooperates with almost all parliaments of the world, joins the international prestigious parliamentary organizations. In that context, of course, the cooperation with the parliaments of the CIS countries is worth of special attention and the partnership within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
The Armenian parliamentarians have been in the sources of the IPA establishment, had direct participation in making the Organization as effective inter-parliamentary structure.
The deputies of the National Assembly have been involved in the process of elaboration and harmonization of the most different legal acts, including the documents regulating the activity of the Assembly. The Armenian parliamentarians not actively work in the IPA Permanent Commissions, but they also take part in all the events organized by the IPA. Our parliamentarians in the IPA delegation also carry out observation mission on the CIS territory in the electoral processes. The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly has assessed at utmost the activity of the representatives of the National Assembly of Armenia. Most of them have been awarded the IPA CIS diplomas and medals for strengthening and developing the inter-parliamentary relations.
Dear colleagues,
The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly has passed a difficult path of establishment, occupying its unique place in the series of leading inter-parliamentary organizations.
Nevertheless, we find that the Assembly has big potential of improving its works in future. In this respect I consider actual the elaboration of such model legal acts in this phase, which can become basis of documents directed to developing and deepening the further economic cooperation of our countries, strengthening the inter-parliamentary in international arena, expanding humanitarian relations between the peoples of Commonwealth member states. Also I would like to draw your attention to the circumstance that in the IPA works, unfortunately, as if, the former inspiration is not noticed. I think it is necessary to refuse the stereotypes and give new content to the activity of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
Dear friends,
Summing up my speech I would like to note that during the real historical short period the Organization has passed a difficult path of searching the best format of formation and cooperation. Its best result is that the cooperation of the CIS States is conditioned by the participants’ striving and readiness in important spheres.
All this, without exaggeration, also refers to the IPA CIS as a Commonwealth component.
Dear colleagues,
In the end let me once again congratulate on the occasion of the IPA 20th jubilee and thank everybody, who stand in the sources of the creation of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, everybody, due to whose efforts our organization was established, and especially Mikhail Krotov, leading for 20 years the Secretariat of the IPA Council, everybody for their thankful work for the reinforcement of the interests and unity of our Commonwealth states.
The IPA CIS Council heard and adopted all the eleven items included in the agenda of the sitting, in particular, the results of the observation missions implemented in a number of countries, the outcomes of the 2011 activity of the IPA CIS and the 2012 working plan.
The IPA CIS adopted the statement “On the 20th Anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth Independent States,” where summing up the two-decade activity, it is noted particularly that one of main directions has been the formation of the legislative bases of Commonwealth directed to the rapprochement of the legislative fields of the member states and the provision of inclusive cooperation on common legal basis.
It is said that the creation of the IPA CIS model legislative basis has given opportunity to the Commonwealth countries to elaborate general approaches in market economy, provision of security, social and ecological policy, provide human basic rights and freedoms, humanitarian cooperation.
As a result of twenty-year activity the Assembly has adopted 315 Model Code, law and guarantee corresponding to international legal standards, localized for the CIS territory and including all the directions of the public activity. It’s said in the statement about the IPA CIS international activity, the role of the forums and conferences organized by the Assembly, at different levels of inter-parliamentary cooperation on post-Soviet territory and provision of integration mechanisms degrees, the contribution that the establishment of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Eurasian Economic Cooperation.
The role of the IPA CIS observation missions in holding democratic and free elections and referenda in Commonwealth Member States, as well as in the development of the democracy of IPA CIS participant countries, creation of parliamentarism and protection of Monitoring International Institute of citizens’ election rights and provision of activity, and its branches function in five member states, including Armenia.
The contribution of the Assembly is significant in the spheres of humanitarian cooperation, traditions of parliamentarism, formation of free dialogue field and expansion of economic cooperation.
In the statement readiness is reported to show active participation for legislative provision of the decisions of the CIS Heads’ Council in the formation and implementation of inner-state programmes in important directions of cooperation. Big perspective is recorded in the direction of further improvement of model legislation with joint efforts and the importance of coordination of joint actions in international parliamentary structures.
The members of the IPA CIS Council express their resoluteness to expand the inter-parliamentary dialogue, permanently improve the forms and directions of cooperation between the parliaments.
The next sitting of the IPA CIS Council will be held in Saint Petersburg on May 16-17.
By the decision of the IPA Council the representatives of different countries were awarded “IPA CIS: 20th Anniversary” gold and silver medals, as well as diplomas for the contribution of creating legislative bases providing the CIS activity and strengthening friendly relations between the parliaments and the peoples. The RA NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan was awarded “IPA CIS: 20th Anniversary” gold medal. By the decree of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev the Head of the RA Parliament was also awarded “Kazakhstan: Twenty Years of Independence” medal.
The Sitting of the Council wound up its works with joint press conference of the heads of the parliamentary delegations.
Within the framework of the visit the RA NA Speaker had a number bilateral meetings. During the meeting with Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the RF Federal Council, Samvel Nikoyan has noted that at present the strategic cooperation between the RA and the RF develops in all directions of inner-state cooperation. The activity of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the RA NA and RF Federal Council greatly promotes the deepening and development of friendly relations between Armenia and Russia. Due to the latter’s long-lasting work the RA and RF Inter-Parliamentary relations have gained stable and dynamic character, a legal basis has been created, which provides regular and wide scale development for inner-state cooperation between the two countries.
The parties deemed important the activation of the efforts of bilateral parliamentary diplomacy in the South Caucasian region in strengthening of stability and formation of atmosphere of trust, stressing the active role of Russia especially in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. They touched upon the necessity of development of inter-regional cooperation, particularly between the RA marzes and RF entities.
In the NA Speaker’s word the Armenian Parliament highlights the efforts of the IPA CIS in the direction of activation of the inter-parliamentary cooperation of the Commonwealth countries. The RA especially emphasizes the cooperation within the framework of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. Mr Nikoyan also highlighted the mutually agreed activity in the international parliamentary structures.
Discussions on the importance of the inter-parliamentary relations and the necessity of their further deepening and improvement, further perspectives of cooperation were also held during the meetings with Nurlan Nigmatulin, Speaker of the National Assembly and the Speaker of the Mazhilis of Parliament of Kazakhstan, Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots and Kayrat Mami, Speaker of the Senate of Parliament of Kazakhstan. Nurlan Nigmatulin especially assessed the role of the Armenian community in the progress of different spheres of their country. Both sides highlighted the availability of the high level of the political dialogue and the necessity of expansion of cooperation in economic sphere.
