The Federation Council Speaker discussed the prospects for inter-parliamentary cooperation with Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Alborov.
The Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko had a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Alborov. The meeting focused on inter-parliamentary cooperation.
The Federation Council Speaker congratulated the delegation on the 15th anniversary of the recognition of South Ossetia as a sovereign and independent state, as well as on Republic Day, marked at the end of September.
“Our nations are bound by centuries-old ties of friendship. In Russia, South Ossetia is treated with special warmth. I know that your country fully supports deepening its alliance with Russia,” Valentina Matvienko emphasised.
The Federation Council Speaker said that since gaining independence, South Ossetia has traversed a difficult road to establish its statehood, develop the economy, and strengthen security. “Russia has provided and will continue to provide all possible assistance. Together we have managed to lay solid foundations for cooperation and establish bilateral relations in almost all areas.”
Valentina Matvienko noted the extensive legal framework, consisting of about 120 documents, that has been created. A special role, according to the Speaker of the Federation Council, is assigned to parliamentarians to expand and improve it. “It is important for us to do everything to ensure that the alliance and strategic partnership of the two countries continues to move forward.”
Alan Alborov said he believed that the meeting in the Federation Council will make an important contribution to the development of bilateral relations: “We have extensive experience working together.”
The officials noted the regularity of the political dialogue; the two countries’ presidents are in constant contact.
“At the legislative level, it is important to determine the additional steps that need to be taken to implement agreements at the highest level,” said the Federation Council Speaker.
The Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia stressed Russia’s important role as a guarantor of security in the South Caucasus.
The meeting participants agreed that the Cooperation Commission of the Federation Council and the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia does effective work. Its next meeting will take place in Tskhinval in the coming days.
A special focus of the meeting was on developing ties between South Ossetia and Russian regions. Valentina Matvienko reminded her colleague that 20 interregional agreements and memorandums of intent had been signed. At the same time, she believes that the potential of interregional cooperation can be further tapped, including by expanding trade and economic cooperation, especially with Crimea and the new regions.
Valentina Matvienko called modernising and increasing the self-sufficiency of the South Ossetian economy the most important area of joint work.
During the meeting, issues related to training qualified personnel necessary for the economic and social development of South Ossetia were touched upon as well.
The meeting was also attended by Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Yelena Perminova, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lyudmila Skakovskaya, and Co-chair of the Commission on Cooperation of the Federation Council and the Parliament of the Republic South Ossetia, and Member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Sergei Tsekov.