The CSTO PA Council discussed issues of protecting historical memory and countering common external threats

Protection of historical memory

The CSTO PA Chairman, Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin 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 member states of the Organization should do everything to preserve the truth about the great victory of the Soviet multinational people. In this regard, Viacheslav Volodin proposed to develop model acts that would increase accountability for comparing USSR and Nazi Germany, rehabilitation of Nazism, defamation of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, offences against their honor and dignity

“It is inadmissible to insult those who defended our Motherland. Our states should do everything to preserve the truth about the Great Victory of the Soviet multinational people. It would be right to take concrete decisions and adopt the relevant laws in our national legislation”, said Viacheslav Volodin.

Common threats

The meeting participants discussed issues of coordinating actions of the CSTO member states to counter common threats and implementation into national legislations of the model legislative acts adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly.

“The quality of joint work that would help to address threats in the area of ​​responsibility of the Organization mostly depends on the creation of a common legal security space. Approximation and harmonization of national legislations are our priority issues,” said Viacheslav Volodin.

“When it comes to development of the parliamentary dimension, we should note special attention of the heads of our states to this format. They are doing everything to develop this format, they support us,” stressed the Chairman of the State Duma.

Viacheslav Volodin added that the parliamentarians had done a lot to provide legislative support for decisions taken by the heads of the states.

Fighting COVID-19

The issues related to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic were also discussed at the meeting.

Viacheslav Volodin recalled that the Declaration, signed by the presidents of the CSTO member states following the previous session, stressed necessity to enhance cooperation to protect health and well-being of citizens in the pandemic conditions and in the face of other threats.

He stressed that Russian medical doctors worked in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the Sputnik V vaccine is supplied to almost 50 countries of the world. “The CSTO member states have a priority,” said Viacheslav Volodin.

In this regard, the Chairman of the State Duma proposed to include the issue of legislative support for sanitary and epidemiological safety in the agenda of the next meeting.

“We should continue to monitor this issue. We should instruct the relevant commissions to include this issue in the Programme for the Approximation and Harmonization of Legislation for 2021–2025 in the agenda of the next meeting of the CSTO PA Council. That would help to implement the decision made by the heads of our states within the framework of the parliamentary dimension,” said Viacheslav Volodin.

Countering foreign interference in internal affairs

“It is important for us to continue approximation of legislations not only in the spheres of defense and countering terrorism, but also in the field of digital security, protection of the electoral rights of citizens,” said the Chairman of the State Duma.

He added that the CSTO member states had recently witnessed attempts of foreign interference in internal affairs.

“We can see that a number of foreign observers who came to the elections in the member states of the Collective Security Organization often make biased assessments, so it would be right if we stated our point of view and adhere to common standards in issues related to democracy,” said Viacheslav Volodin.

The Chairman of the State Duma is convinced that it is necessary to discuss a standard for monitoring elections to avoid different interpretations.

In his opinion, the United States of America has set standards for all other countries, but their authorities do what they want in their own state.