Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 11 October (BelTA) – It is the House of Representatives that will carry out the bulk of the organizational work in the run-up to the OSCE PA Summer Session in Minsk, Chairman of the fifth-convocation House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko said when opening the first session of the sixth-convocation Parliament. His candidacy was once again nominated as Speaker, BelTA has learned.

“We have a busy international agenda. The main event for us in this regard will be the regular summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk. The event is very important for the country. We should ensure a top-notch organization of the event. All the preparatory work will lie mainly with the House of Representatives,” Vladimir Andreichenko said.

According to him, the membership of the national delegations to the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Belarus-Russia Union State, the CIS and CSTO will be updated in view of the recent parliamentary elections in Belarus and Russia. “These organizations host most of the activities we traditionally attend every year,” said the MP. “We need to change the format of work, particularly in the Union State Parliament, and work more rigorously defending the interests of Belarus. We talk a lot about a coherent industrial policy, equal conditions for enterprises, uniform energy tariffs. But the lack of visible results depreciates the idea of integration. It means that we need to make the agenda more down-to-earth, table practical issues of cooperation and search for mutually acceptable solutions, promote interregional cooperation, and devise more joint import substitution programs. This is highly relevant for our cooperation in the Eurasian Economic Union,” Vladimir Andreichenko said.

He also drew attention to the fact that the MPs should contribute to the establishment of the legal framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

As was reported, more than 700 politicians from 57 countries will gather for the 26th session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to be held in Minsk in 2017.