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Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko oversaw a meeting of the Organizing Committee for the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress. The Congress is being organized by the Federation Council in conjunction with the Russian Government, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Roscongress Foundation is managing the event.   

Matvienko said that the 11th Nevsky Congress had been scheduled for 22–23 May 2025. “As in previous years, it will be held at the Tavrichesky Palace, the headquarters of the IPA CIS, in St. Petersburg. It is important that all the events planned are organized and held to the highest standard.”

According to Matvienko, the Nevsky Congress has already managed to distinguish itself on the global calendar of eco-events. “Interest has grown steadily in the sixteen years since the Congress was first held. In 2008 it was attended by 700 people from 17 countries – 1,500 people from 52 countries attend the tenth Congress.”

“We must continue to raise the bar by actively involving colleagues from all over the world – experts, scientists, government and public figures – everyone ready to discuss environmental issues fairly and on equal terms, free from politics or attempts to apply undue pressure,” she said.

Matvienko went on to say that concern for the environment ought to unite countries and peoples and not create further division. “In this we enjoy the full support of our friends, who are in the global majority, in BRICS, from the Global South, who are participating in the Congress as they have in the past.”

The Speaker emphasized that the effective management of natural resources and environmental protection was a national priority for Russia. “We can see how preoccupied Russian President Vladimir Putin is with the environmental agenda, calling for a new large-scale national project for ‘Environmental Wellbeing’ to be launched next year.”

Matvienko believes that Russia’s experience with environmental legislation and projects to mitigate existing damage, among other things, could benefit foreign colleagues. Many ongoing eco-projects have “grown” precisely out of recommendations made at the Nevsky Congress. “This is a large part of the reason for what we do here.”

Matvienko added that she believed Russian regional and federal experience ought to be presented as widely as possible at the Congress and hoped representatives of all the nation’s constituent entities would take part.

The Speaker also mentioned it was important not to focus on the number of events when drawing up the business programme. “The quality of the content is what’s important. We must discuss the issues that are really important to the environmental agenda and develop proposals that will influence the work of the executive and legislative authorities.”

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee Dmitry Patrushev addressed the meeting and said that the fact the Congress was being held for the eleventh time was proof of the attention its agenda had garnered at home and abroad. “The Congress is an important place for stakeholders to interact and propose initiatives to preserve our natural resources.”

The Deputy Prime Minister believed it was important to give new impetus to the work being done at the Congress. “A number of highly specialized forums exist in the country today that focus on just one aspect of environmental protection,” Patrushev said, proposing that greater consideration be given to uniting all of these forums at the Congress to discuss all the issues on the environmental agenda.

The Organizing Committee discussed the architecture of the business programme, discussions, and the Congress cultural programme.

Adviser to the President of the Russian federation and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the 11th Nevsky Ecological Congress Anton Kobyakov spoke of how “The Congress’ environmental agenda is discussed at forums throughout the year, and it is an integral part of important international projects like the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum. To further promote it, we plan to hold regular eco-sessions throughout Russia in the leadup to the Congress. Regular events on this topic will make it possible to keep the public abreast of environmental projects here and abroad. It is the Organizing Committee’s job to work with international partners from countries with whom Russia enjoys good diplomatic relations to draft an international environmental declaration that will put the initiatives and means necessary to help protect the environment and develop a more environmentally responsible society down on paper. The Organizing Committee will also conduct a survey of all interested Congress participants and propose that the declaration be formally signed at the Congress in May,” Kobyakov said.

The meeting was attended by First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov, Secretary General of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States Dmitry Kobitsky, and other members of the Congress Organizing Committee.