YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The CIS Inter-Parliamentary Forum held to discuss the struggle against terrorism began its work at the Tavria Palace in St. Petersburg on March 27. The forum is organized by the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Featured speakers at the forum include Director of Russia’s State Security Service (FSB) Nikolay Patrushev–who also chairs the committee of heads of CIS security services–European Parliament President Patrick Cox–President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Adrian Severin–Chairperson of the Parliamentary Assembly of Black Sea Economic Cooperation Council Nino Burdzhanadze–Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer.
The agenda of the forum also includes a specialized exhibition–round-table conferences on measures against international terrorism and human rights observance–seminars on efforts to curb financing of organized crime and Russia’s cooperation with NATO.
As the Armenian National Assembly Public Relations Department informs–an Armenian delegation led by National Assembly Chairman A. Khachatrian is attending the forum. Khachatrian emphasized that for achieving a real result in the struggle against terrorism–Armenia is always ready to cooperate with other countries of the CIS. Today–the geography and the scale of terrorism are a big danger. Armenia joined in signing all the basic documen’s concerning struggle against terrorism–including the corresponding convention of the Council of Europe.
"Armenia condemns terrorism and reckons that struggle against it must be of long-term and consistent character," the Armenian parliament speaker said.
On Thursday–March 28 the participants are expected to pass the St. Petersburg declaration on struggle with terrorism.