According to the Chair of the CIS IPA Council, the outcomes of the events dedicated to the Year of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory held across the Commonwealth countries will be summed up during an international conference at the CIS IPA headquarters in early December.
Chairperson of the CIS IPA Council and Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko held the 59th plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States.
She noted that 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War across the Commonwealth. “The action plan dedicated to this date was approved by the Assembly Council and is being successfully implemented.”
The Federation Council Speaker went on to say that an address by the CIS IPA Council was adopted a year ago. The heads of parliament used it to call on the countries around the world, international organisations, and the international community to approach the celebration of Victory as a momentous event in history that should foster an atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation in international relations. They spoke in favour of peaceful resolution of conflicts and stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. “Our common position regarding the feat of the Soviet people was made public at a solemn meeting of the CIS IPA dedicated to the anniversary of Victory this spring. Its participants highlighted the important contribution made by each republic in fighting Nazism and how important it is for all of us to preserve the hallowed memory of the events that took place back then.”
According to the Federation Council Speaker, the CIS IPA Council members put together video messages for the Great Patriotic War veterans and homefront workers residing in the Commonwealth states. The event-related materials have been included in a special issue of the CIS IPA international analytical journal Dialogue. Valentina Matvienko said that delegations from the assembly visited war memorial sites in the Commonwealth countries dedicated to Victory in the Great Patriotic War throughout the anniversary year, and CIS IPA representatives took part in events under national programmes. During meetings of the Assembly field-specific commissions, search squad members met with the CIS IPA parliamentary delegation members. The annual international cultural and educational forum, Children of the Commonwealth, in the Republic of Belarus and the 25th CIS Youth Interparliamentary Assembly meeting were dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory as well.
“The outcomes of these events will be summed up at the international conference, The Great Patriotic War in the Collective Memory of the Peoples of the Commonwealth: The 80th Anniversary of Victory, which will be held in early December at the CIS IPA headquarters,” Valentina Matvienko said.
She briefly discussed the Interparliamentary Assembly’s legislative activities as well. The CIS IPA has drafted over 730 model legislation documents, including 23 model laws that are being reviewed at the current session.
Valentina Matvienko highlighted the 9th St Petersburg International Labour Forum, the 11th Nevsky International Environmental Congress, and several other forums, conferences, thematic sessions and round table discussions as successful events held by the CIS IPA. “The international conference, Legal Regulation of Countering the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Technologies for Terrorist Purposes, organised in conjunction with the UN Counter-Terrorism Office and the International Committee of the Red Cross was a notable event attended by representatives from over 20 international organisations, among them 13 interparliamentary assemblies.”
The head of the CIS IPA Council briefed the audience members about the decisions adopted by the Council and upcoming events. “On the electoral track, we are getting ready to observe the snap parliamentary elections in the Kyrgyz Republic. Several other events have been planned, including the Commonwealth of Fashion international forum, an international conference dedicated to Victory anniversary, and the Tauride Readings scientific conference. All these activities will get implemented as planned,” Valentina Matvienko said with confidence.
Heads of national delegations greeted the participants.
Chairman of the Majlisi Milli of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan Rustam Emomali noted the success of the events sponsored by the Commonwealth during Tajikistan’s chairmanship of the CIS thanks, in part, to effective cooperation among member states. He emphasised the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, which will ensure the implementation of existing agreements, stability, and progress in the Commonwealth countries.
Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbaev underscored the fact that the CIS has not only remained a highly sought-after association, but is making great strides as a mechanism for mutually beneficial and respectful cooperation across a wide range of areas. Considering that next year marks 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s parliament, he proposed holding a number of CIS IPA events in Kazakhstan.
Chair of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva highlighted the importance of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, which has become an effective mechanism for building trust and aligning approaches to addressing urgent challenges. She placed special emphasis on expanding humanitarian cooperation, adding that cultural and educational projects such as the Train of Memory and Children of the Commonwealth play a major role in fostering deep friendship among the younger generation.
This year marked the 80th anniversary of Victory, and the Train of Memory was attended by representatives from all 15 former Soviet republics.
Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ziyafet Abbas Askarov focused on improving the CIS IPA’s monitoring activities and enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation within the assembly, which he described as an important body that enjoys great demand among the Commonwealth countries.
A number of model laws and recommendations were reviewed during the meeting.
The model law On Creative Industries was presented by First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on the Rules of Procedure and Parliamentary Governance and a member of the CIS IPA Standing Commission on the Study of State-Building and Local Self-Government Experience Alexander Savin. He pointed out the significant potential of national creative industries in the CIS countries. “The commission has received a proposal to conduct ongoing monitoring of the development of creative industries in the CIS countries. A seminar on best practices in the CIS member states in the autumn of 2026 will be the first such event.”
Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture and Chair of the CIS IPA Standing Commission on Science and Education Lilia Gumerova presented draft Recommendations on the regulatory framework for academic mobility. “Drafting these Recommendations is a effort that goes in line with the country-to-country policies of the CIS member states aimed at expanding educational service exports, improving academic mobility, and creating a common socially oriented market for educational services and a common CIS educational space,” the senator said, adding that the goal of the recommendations was to summarise regulatory experience, identify and formalise best practices for creating the institutional basis for academic mobility and a system of measures to keep it operational with a view to its subsequent improvement and alignment of national legislation of the CIS member states.
Secretary General of the CIS IPA Council Dmitry Kobitsky reported on the 2026–2028 Long-Term Plan for Model Lawmaking in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
A ceremony was held to present parliamentarians from the Commonwealth countries and central office staff members with CIS IPA orders and medals and CIS IPA Council certificates of merit.
Film director, screenwriter, producer, and merited cultural figure of the Kyrgyz Republic Aybek Dayyrbekov was awarded the CIS IPA honourary badge “For Contribution to Culture and Art.”