Russian, Afghan parliaments planning to sign cooperation agreement - Volodin
ST. PETERSBURG. Nov 23 (Interfax) - The parliaments of Russia and Afghanistan are going to develop and sign a cooperation agreement, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.
"We note with satisfaction that the Afghan side has regularly participated in the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] as an observer [the next assembly is due in St. Petersburg on November 24]. We also need to develop further inter-parliamentary relations in various areas. We'll be planning the signing of a framework agreement between the State Duma and the lower house of the Afghan parliament," Volodin said at a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Rauf Ibrahimi in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
For his part, Ibrahimi expressed hope that relations with the new Duma will be "just as close and good as with the previous one."
"This cooperation is particularly important in the current environment. Cooperation between our countries will contribute to regional security and stability," Ibrahimi said.
While in St. Petersburg on Wednesday Volodin also held a number of other bilateral meetings. In particular, he held talks with parliamentary speakers Shukurjon Zuhurov, Ogtay Asadov and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, of Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, respectively. Volodin also discussed cooperation with Armenian National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, Cuban Ambassador to Russia Emilio Ratmir Lozada Garcia and the head of the Moldovan Party of Socialists' parliamentary faction and the party's acting leader, Zinaida Greceanni.
