News
The Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS) held a meeting in St. Petersburg on 13 April. The event was opened by the Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, who also chairs the IPA CIS Council.
The meeting was attended by the heads of parliamentary delegations: Chair of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sagiba Gafarova, Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, Chair of the Council of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Shakiev, Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of Tajikistan Mahmadtoir Zoir Zokirzoda.
Matviyenko greeted her colleagues and thanked them for their continued participation in the Assembly’s work, which underscores the common interest in strengthening the ties of the parliamentary community and friendship.
First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Andrey Yatskin informed the meeting participants about preparations for the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress. Yatskin is deputy co-chairman of the Congress Organizing Committee.
The tenth anniversary of the Congress, which will take place at Tavricheskiy Palace in St. Petersburg on 25–26 May, will be held under the motto ‘Ecology: A Right, Not a Privilege’. “The Congress has gained the status of an authoritative international environmental platform. Its agenda always generates maximum interest on the part of CIS member countries,” Yatskin said.
Yatskin said that preparations for the Congress are close to the finish line and commented on the main events of the business programme. “Along with such important and significant themes as water, climate, forests, Arctic ecology, ecotourism, and eco-education, this year we will discuss eco-volunteering, the digitalization of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and prospects for organic production.”
A number of educational and environmental events will be held in the run-up to and during the Congress, including a youth day, classes, and eco-competitions for children, the premiere of a documentary film about the circular economy, an ecological race, tree planting in the Tavricheskiy Garden, and a number of other events. In addition, more than 20 Russian regions plan to hold regional environmental weeks to support the Congress.
Yatskin said the tenth anniversary of the Nevsky Congress would become a truly memorable event. Guests from 36 states have already confirmed they will attend the Congress.