Viacheslav
Volodin
Vyacheslav Victorovich
The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the eighth convocation. Elected in single mandate constituency № 163 (Saratov constituency - Saratov Oblast)
stressed that it is important to do everything to ensure that
inter-parliamentary contacts are systematic and lead to the implementation of decisions made at the highest level.
The Chairman of the State Duma noted that the joint Russian-Korean initiative to hold the Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments is actively developing, and parliamentary delegations from 41 countries representing all parts of the Eurasian continent worked together at the third Meeting held last year in Antalya.
“The demand for this format gives confidence that together we will be able to reach a legislative solution to the task of promoting integration projects in the Eurasian regions,” said Viacheslav Volodin.
Trade development
He also said that the priority in the work of the Interparliamentary Commission should be to ensure enhanced trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, and first of all, the implementation of large-scale investment projects related to the creation of new manufactures in the regions of Siberia and the Far East, and the central part of Russia.
Viacheslav Volodin noted an increase in mutual trade. In 2018, it increased by 29.1% to $ 24.8 billion. The turnover in January-March 2019 increased by another 50.1% compared to the same period last year, reaching $ 6.2 billion. The Chairman of the State Duma believes that the intended goal — to bring the annual volume of trade to $ 30 billion can be achieved by 2020 at this rate.
Clear the debris
“The treaty and legal basis of bilateral cooperation today includes more than 50 agreements. At the same time, about two dozen bilateral documents are under consideration and approval by our governments, some of them have been under negotiation for more than five years. Let's do everything we can to clear these debris,” Viacheslav Volodin stressed.
He noted that draft intergovernmental agreements on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses, scientific and technical cooperation, recognition of diplomas of members of the crew of ships are among those in the process of consultation and “the citizens of our countries are waiting for the solution of these issues”.
Situation on the Korean Peninsula
Viacheslav Volodin proposed to start an expert study of trilateral projects in Russia, the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, without waiting for the lifting of international sanctions against North Korea. As said the Chairman of the State Duma, above all, this is the integration of the Korean railways with the Trans-Siberian Railway and the transit of pipeline gas and electricity through the DPRK to the Republic of Korea. He suggested thinking about it due to the fact that inter-parliamentary forms of interaction are more flexible and allow to discuss any topics.
The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Moon Hee-sang, supported this proposal. “I liked your vision,” he said, and stressed that his country “is most interested in trilateral interaction.” He also noted the role of Russia in settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Cultural and humanitarian ties
Viacheslav Volodin called to pay close attention to cultural and humanitarian relations between our countries in the framework of inter-parliamentary cooperation.
“An early signing of an agreement on the mutual recognition of diplomas and degrees will contribute to the further promotion of humanitarian exchanges,” said the Chairman of the State Duma. He also noted the role of the abolition of visas between countries in the growth of tourist exchange. In 2018, 244 thousand trips were made from Russia to the Republic of Korea (an increase of 5%), the flow of tourists from South Korea to the Russian Federation increased to 361 thousand trips (an increase of 42%).
Viacheslav Volodin also believes that it is necessary to establish effective inter-parliamentary cooperation to promote mutual exchanges between Russia and the Republic of Korea in 2020. The organizing Committee of the Year of Russia in the Republic of Korea is headed by the former speaker of the National Assembly Chung Sye-kyun, and the Chairman of the State Duma noted his contribution to the development of relations between our countries.
About the work of the commission
At the meeting, Oksana Bondar
Oksana Andreeva
, Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Regional Policy and Problems of North and Far East, told that increase of the investment attractiveness of the Far East regions is the priority of inter-parliamentary interaction with the Republic of Korea. She reported on the decisions taken in this direction, in particular, on the introduction of a ten-year period of reduced insurance premium rates for investors in the advanced development area and the free port of Vladivostok. Oksana Bondar emphasized that ongoing work has already brought tangible results. “The volume of foreign trade increased from January to March 2019 compared to the same period of 2018. Six projects with the participation of Korean capital that worth $50 billion are being implemented on the territories of advanced development and the free port of Vladivostok. This amounts to 1% of all foreign investments attracted to the Far East over the past four years,” the parliamentarian said. She also noted the importance of the Days of Korean Investors.
Sergei Ten
Sergey Yurievich
, a member of the Committee on Transport and Construction, emphasized the close cooperation of the two countries in the transport sphere. “The meetings of the Russian-Korean Committee on Transport Cooperation are held regularly, the next meeting is scheduled for the second quarter of 2019 in Moscow,” he said. He also reminded that during the visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Russia a memorandum of understanding was signed between Russian Railways and corporation Korean Railways. “In 2018, the volume of transportation of large-tonnage containers between Russia and the Republic of Korea by railway increased by 41%,” said Sergei Ten.
A member of the Committee on Defense Pavel Dorokhin
Pavel Sergeeviсh
proposed to hold a regional conference in Russia to discuss issues in the sphere of investments, trade, and industry. “I propose to hold such conference this autumn, so then there will be enough time to prepare for both sides,” he said.
