Russia not to restrict foreign parliamentarians' entry to the country for IPU assembly - Matviyenko
ST. PETERSBURG. Aug 24 (Interfax) - Representatives from 50 countries have already expressed their wish to attend the 137th Interparliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, which will be held in St. Petersburg in October, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko told reporters on Thursday.
"Everything is practically ready at the Tavrichesky Palace, which will host its meetings. The opening of the Interparliamentary Union Assembly will be held at our new modern Expoforum center, the run-up to it is under way there, as well. Therefore, I am confident that everything will be held at the highest level," Matviyenko said.
"Fifty parliaments and 600 members of parliaments have already registered. We believe that this will be most representative assembly of all previous ones, which were held in the recent years. The number of parliamentary heads has already exceeded all previous figures. All this points to the absurdity of attempts to affirm that Russia is being in some isolation," she said.
No restrictions will be imposed on those people, who were included in the Russian sanctions list, Matviyenko said.
"Our position, which we have expressed, is that any sanctions against parliamentarians are inadmissible. Russia provided guarantees that no restrictions against parliamentarians as members of national delegations will be imposed. All of them will be able to attend it," the Federation Council speaker also said.
Another two countries can join the IPU within the framework of the 137th assembly, Matviyenko said.
