The Senator outlined the position of the Russian delegation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to the CSTO partners in anticipation of the Assembly’s upcoming winter session.
First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov attended the coordinating meeting of the heads of the parliamentary delegations of the CSTO member states at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
The meeting took place via video conference and was chaired by Aigul Kuspan, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, who also heads the senatorial group in the Russian parliamentary delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, suggested that the parliamentarians of the CSTO member states coordinate their positions on international platforms more closely.
The Senator told his CSTO partners that the delegation of the Russian Federal Assembly has decided to abstain from participating in the Parliamentary Assembly’s winter session, which will take place on 22–23 February in Vienna.
“We believe that, unfortunately, the Assembly is losing its potential as a platform for constructive and mutually respectful dialogue and requires a serious reset,” the Senator said. He noted that the senators are currently in discussion with the Russian Foreign Ministry and their colleagues in the State Duma regarding future participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The parliamentarians expressed hope that the Assembly, while adhering to its initially established principles, could potentially reclaim its status as a valuable platform for interparliamentary interaction.