Duma to defy U.S. attempts to restrict its international contacts - Naryshkin
MOSCOW. April 6 (Interfax) - The Russian State Duma will develop interparliamentary relations despite opposition on the part of the United States and its allies, State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin has said.
"[The Russian] State Duma is an international contact center and attempts by U.S. foreign policy and its accomplices to restrict the Russian parliament in contacts [with foreign governments] look simply ridiculous and odd," he told reporters on Monday.
He pointed out the active cooperation with counterparts representing various countries. In particular, this week the Duma "will be receiving parliamentary delegations from Iraq, France and Turkey next week," he said. Besides, this week the State Duma is hosting meetings with the Greek prime minister and the Armenian foreign minister, Naryshkin added.
A State Duma delegation led by the speaker is to visit Cuba this May; Russian parliamentarians will also travel to South Korea and Japan in the very near future, he said.
"So the international agenda is very broad and speaks for itself," Naryshkin said.
The State Duma will maintain and develop communication and hold consultations with parliamentarians from various countries, including the European Union, he said.
"There may, of course, be various points of view in these contacts, but that is nothing to worry about," the speaker said.
One of the roles of parliamentarians is to discuss any problem honestly and frankly, he said. "And this role stems from the very nature of representative democracy, representative government," the speaker said.
