Senator and deputy from Bashkortostan took part in the Asian inter-parliamentary dialogue

UFA, 8 December 2014. /Bashinform News Agency, Arina Rakhimkulova/. The Senator from Bashkortostan Raphael Zinurov and the State Duma deputy Anwar Makhmutov participated in the session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly. The meeting, which was attended by representatives of 34 countries, was held in Lahore (Pakistan). The delegation was headed by the member of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Raphael Zinurov.

In his welcoming speech, the President of the Senate of Pakistan Syed Bokhari praised the role and importance of the Asian region in the next several decades. He also urged the Asian Parliaments to be self-sufficient in making crucial policy decisions, to seek economic independence from the West through cooperation and integration. In this regard, he stressed a stabilizing role of Russia especially in the context of the international relations development in Asia based on equality, mutual partnership and respect for international law.

Today's meeting was held under the motto "Relevance of Asian Parliament Creation in "the Asian Century ". It was proposed to transform the Asian Parliamentary Assembly into the Asian Parliament which should be elected and work similar to the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament and other similar structures. The idea of creating such an organization was supported by the majority of the members of the Assembly.

Cooperation in the economic, financial, cultural, and scientific and technical fields was also discussed there.