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The Organizing Committee of the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress to be held in May 2023 met in the Federation Council.
The Federation Council hosted the first meeting of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress to be held in May 2023 at the site of the IPA CIS in Tavricheskiy Palace in St. Petersburg. The Organizing Committee was co-chaired by Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council, Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council and Victoria Abramchenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. The Roscongress Foundation is the operator of the Congress.
According to Valentina Matviyenko, thanks to joint efforts of the Federation Council, the Russian Government, the Ministry of Natural Resources and IPA CIS the Congress has already earned the status of an influential international environmental platform. “In recent years, environmental issues have become among the most pressing for the mankind. This judgement is based on the fact that clean air, clean water, and environment in general is the right of every citizen of the planet. And our Congress aims to ensure that as many people as possible, both in our country and around the world, live in environmentally favourable conditions.”
The attention of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to the Congress is evidence of the demand for it, said the Speaker of the Federation Council. Valentina Matviyenko reminded of the list of instructions, recently approved by the Head of State. It includes a number of new tasks in environment protection and ecological education. Among them is a decision to create All-Russian Youth Environmental Movement.
Talking about the practical side of the Congress, the Speaker underlined that the recommendations which are accumulated in its final document always become a real roadmap for the Parliament and the Government. As an example, she named a package of legislative measures to improve the quality of forestry management, to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and to improve the waste management system adopted following the recommendations of the previous Nevsky Ecological Congresses.
Valentina Matviyenko urged to ensure wide participation of foreign guests in the jubilee Congress. “They should be bright, open-minded, and enterprising people – real heroes of their work, professionals, profoundly involved in environmental issues.”
The NF Chairperson noted that the Congress is also necessary to present what is really happening in Russia in environmental protection. She believes it is important that the perception of our country in this field should not be distorted and formed on the basis of politicized assessments. “No country can ensure absolute environmental well-being. Only by joint efforts can environmentalism be achieved for all residents. At the same time, it seems that such systematic and in-depth work as in Russia is not built anywhere else. I think interest in the Nevsky Ecological Congress will be high.”
The Head of the Federation Council expects the active participation of Russian regions, including the new constituent entities of the Federation, representatives of relevant ministries and agencies, scientific and non-governmental organizations, as well as the business community.
Valentina Matviyenko is confident that the well-coordinated work of the Organizing Committee will make it possible to prepare and hold the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress at the highest level.
The Speaker of the Federation Council noted the informal and empathic approach to environmental issues by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victoria Abramchenko. “We very much appreciate our cooperation.”
Victoria Abramchenko said that the main subject to be discussed at the plenary session of the Congress is human impact on all ecosystems of the planet, to talk about responsible human activity for preservation of life on Earth. Victoria Abramchenko is confident that the Congress will allow to discuss today’s most acute and pressing environmental issues within the framework of an honest and open international dialogue.
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation suggested that the business programme of the Congress should include issues related to water availability and cleanliness of water bodies, improvement of air quality in cities, as well as land ecology and reduction of negative impact of all types of waste. According to Victoria Abramchenko, Russia already has specific solutions for these key tracks and an opportunity to share experience with foreign partners. “The solution to these and other problems is in the hands of all countries of the world, each individual person who sorts waste, saves water, does volunteer work, and reduces consumption of non-recyclable materials.”
Russia has shown time and again that environmental and climate issues are not about politics and should not be influenced by sanctions, because these are issues of global preservation of the planet, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation stressed.
Victoria Abramchenko spoke highly of the role of the Federation Council both in legislative support for the environmental agenda and in addressing practical issues in Russia’s regions.
The participants discussed the architecture of the business programme of the 10th Nevsky Ecological Congress, as well as the possibility of holding environmental events and activities in St. Petersburg and other regions of the Russian Federation.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Co-Chairmen of the Organizing Committee of the Nevsky Ecological Congress – First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Alexander Kozlov; as well as Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov; Russian Senators, and representatives of authorities and organizations.
Source:
council.gov.ru/events/news/139840/