Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 30 March (BelTA) - Parliamentary diplomacy can be used more actively in the development and implementation of cooperation roadmaps and program documents signed with foreign countries, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko said at a seminar held on 30 March to discuss Belarus’ international activity and inter-parliamentary cooperation, BelTA has learned.

According to the speaker, MPs are doing their best in using parliamentary diplomacy to promote trade and economic ties, industrial cooperation and the implementation of promising investment projects. “For this work to be effective and well-coordinated it is necessary to cooperate on a permanent basis with the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other ministries and departments. MPs are ready to take an active part in the work of intergovernmental commissions and committees, business forums and other bilateral events. I believe that the parliamentary diplomacy resource can be used more actively in the development and implementation of roadmaps and program documents signed with foreign states. MPs, in virtue of their status, are able to raise most thorny subjects, while parliamentary contacts are often used as an effective alternative to remove “bottlenecks” in interstate relations,” said the Chairman of the House of Representatives.

He believes that the organization of joint visits of a parliamentary delegation and a delegation of businessmen of Belarus to foreign states has proved to be an efficient form of cooperation. This helps take a comprehensive approach to address foreign political and economic tasks. For instance, such Belarus’ parliamentary delegation is expected to pay a visit to Pakistan on 9-13 April. The agenda will include a wide range of issues related to the implementation of agricultural projects.

Vladimir Andreichenko also informed that the sixth-convocation National Assembly has set up 70 working groups to develop cooperation with foreign parliaments, two inter-parliamentary commissions on cooperation with the National Assembly of Armenia and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and also 13 delegations for cooperation with international organizations.