Plenary session of the International Parliamentary Conference “Russia – Latin America” was held in Moscow

The plenary session of the International Parliamentary Conference “Russia — Latin America” was held in Moscow on the topic “Cooperation for a just world for all.”

The Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin addressed the Conference participants. He recalled the contribution of the heads of states to the development of relations between Russia and Latin American countries, as they set the trends, and parliamentarians should also make their own contribution.

Vyacheslav Volodin said that during the Conference, there was signed an agreement on cooperation between the State Duma and the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and there was also held the first meeting of the Commission on Cooperation between State Duma and the National Assembly of the Republic of Nicaragua, it was also planned to sign an agreement granting the State Duma a permanent observer status at the Central American Parliament.

“This is a really good result. We are building our relations on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and, of course, mutually beneficial cooperation,” emphasized the Chairman of the State Duma.

“The decisions we adopted will help us use the parliamentary dimension more effectively, as it is a format, which will be an additional driver for the development of relations between our countries,” said Vyacheslav Volodin.

In addition, the Chairman of the State Duma proposed to hold the International Parliamentary Conference “Russia — Latin America” every year. The efforts of the parliaments of Russia and Latin America would help resist sanctions pressure, as he also said.

“Friendship is not afraid of any tests”

Russia's relations with Latin American countries have strong roots, have always been characterized by mutual trust and are not afraid of any challenges, according to the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.

“For decades, our country has fully supported the struggle of the people of Latin America for freedom. Russia's relations with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean region have strong, deep roots and have always been characterized by stability, trust and goodwill. As a well-known Latin American proverb says, a house with a good foundation is not afraid of the wind. Thus, our friendship is not afraid of any tests,” said Valentina Matvienko, addressing the Conference participants.

According to her, the Conference convincingly proves that countries have “a will to be closer to each other, there is a mutual interest in developing mutually beneficial multifaceted ties.”

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in his video address to the participants of the International Parliamentary Conference, recalled that our country and the Latin American states “traditionally have friendly relations, which were established during the struggle of Latin Americans for their independence”. “Russia has always been sympathetic to the desire of the peoples of South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean to gain true freedom and genuine sovereignty and take their destiny into their own hands,” he said.

“We are united by a strong commitment to the democratization of interstate relations and building it based on the generally recognized principles of international law, primarily the UN Charter. We are consistent supporters of showing respect for the cultural and civilizational diversity of the peoples of the world, their right to determine the paths and models of political and socioeconomic development,” emphasized Sergey Lavrov.

“A world hegemon is impossible in the 21st century”

The President of the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez noted the importance of strengthening a multipolar world. According to him, parliaments are the main instrument that contributes to that.

“The times of the world policeman are in the past; a world hegemon is no longer possible in the 21st century,” he said, adding that such policy of Western countries brings “a lot of harm and grief to the people of our planet.”

Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez also condemned the policy of unilateral Western sanctions and urged the countries to defend their sovereignty and the right to be free: “Today, 30 countries on our planet are affected by 26,162 sanctions that were imposed by one single country and its satellites. 26,162 sanctions affect 28% of the world’s population, 62% of the entire territory of our planet.”

According to the Speaker of the Parliament of Venezuela, those are not just sanctions, but “coercive unilateral measures, military measures, hybrid war measures, that is a real new plague of humanity.” “These are bombs that kill ordinary people, because sanctions are aimed at the well-being of people, aimed at infringing on the right to healthcare, to access to technology, to development,” he emphasized.

“Russia is a very important country and we would like to cooperate and build friendly relations with it,” said the President of the National Congress of the Republic of Honduras Luis Redondo Guifarro. He expressed confidence that the International Parliamentary Conference would give additional impetus to the development of relations between Russia and Honduras in all areas.

According to Luis Redondo Guifarro, the parliamentary diplomacy is a key element in building a multipolar world and parliamentarians together will be able to create a more equal world in the interests of the nations.

In addition, the President of the National Congress of the Republic of Honduras announced the creation of a friendship group on cooperation with Russia in the Parliament of Honduras.

“Cuba maintains excellent relations with the Russian Federation, based on cooperation between the two nations, parliaments and governments,” said the President of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández.

“Cuba strongly condemns the attempts of the United States of America and NATO to get closer to the borders of the Russian Federation, the policy of isolation pursued by international organizations against our brotherly country,” emphasized Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández.

The President of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba thanked Russian parliamentarians for adopting annual statements and regular support at the UN on stopping the blockade of the island.

“Russia’s victory will be a victory over evil”

“Russia is a beacon of hope and justice giving light to all humanity. Russia is fighting for the world peace against the darkest ideologies,” said the Special Representative of the President of Nicaragua for Russian Affairs Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo.

He emphasized that Nicaragua “supports Russia’s fight against the new wave of fascism and Nazism, created by the USA and NATO.” “The noble goal of denazification and protection of the fundamental rights of the Russian people to life and peace is the reason why the special military operation started. We are convinced that Russia’s victory will be a victory over lies, light over darkness and good over evil,” stressed Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo.

In addition, the Special Representative of the President of Nicaragua for Russian Affairs noted the willingness to enhance cooperation despite the blackmailing of the United States of America and its allies.

“We, just like other Latin American countries, start to build a new multipolar world, more just and sustainable,” said the First Vice President of the Federal Senate of the National Congress of the Federative Republic of Brazil Veneziano Vital do Rêgo Segundo Neto.

The President of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) Amado Cerrud Acevedo said that cooperation with Russia made it possible to develop the potential of the region. He recalled that the PARLACEN had been cooperating with the Russian Federation for quite a long time and events such as the International Parliamentary Conference would be “a platform that opens up the future for us.”