Matviyenko emphasizes importance of humanitarian cooperation within CIS
BISHKEK. July 3 (Interfax) - The international Children of the Commonwealth forum promotes the establishment of a unified humanitarian environment across the CIS territory, Russian Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko said at a meeting with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev.
"The CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Kyrgyz parliament have organized the international educational and cultural Children of the Commonwealth forum for the fifth time," Matviyenko said, adding that she believed it was very important "for children and teachers to gather together and set up a common humanitarian expanse at such a meeting."
"We would like the children of the CIS to be friends, just as we were earlier, and preserve the traditions of friendship that also tied us," Matviyenko said.
Matviyenko said she had come to Bishkek from Novosibirsk, where she had taken part in the first congress of women of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS countries.
"Such events are important for integration. It's important not only for political leaders to support integration processes but also for ordinary citizens to support integration," she said.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev called Matviyenko "a great friend of Kyrgyzstan."
"Under your chairmanship, the Federation Council is helping our country. I know you root for our interests and help and support Kyrgyzstan," Atambayev said.
He said he knew that Matviyenko would travel to Lake Issyk-Kul on Monday evening to take part in the Children of the Commonwealth forum together with Kyrgyz parliamentary speaker Chynybai Tursunbekov.
"We would like Russian citizens to start discovering the shore of our lake for themselves. There is beautiful sand and excellent environment there," Atambayev said.
"We would like our Russian friends, Russian political heavyweights, to take a closer look at Issyk-Kul and start building country houses there," Atambayev said.
Matviyenko said in reply that "the law forbids us to have real estate abroad."
"Kyrgyzstan is not abroad. I think the Russian president will allow that," Atambayev said in reply.