YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The Council of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly met in St. Petersburg–Russia–on June 12. Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Armen Khachatrian was also attending the meeting. The Khachatrian-led delegation also participated in the workings of the 15th plenary meeting of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly that began on June 13.
The parliamentary delegations exchanged views on the first issue on the agenda. Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Khachatrian gave a speech.
Following discussions of the prospects of CIS development and the legal role and status of the CIS IA in this process the meeting decided to outline the top-priority tasks in the spheres of structural–investment–trade and economic policies. The parliamentarians declared that the CIS was to become an influential regional center–adopting a memorandum on this account to be submitted to the Council of CIS Heads of State.
The meeting also discussed the IA’s program of measures aimed at implementing the agreement of April 15–1994 on the creation of a Free Trade Zone and the common part of the model tax code. The delegates adopted a number of proposals on how to harmonize national legislations in the context of Free Trade Zone establishment.
The delegates from the CIS parliamen’s also adopted a number of model laws: "On diplomatic service"–"On information about science and engineering"–"On objects of cultural values"–and others. A model law "On emergency situations" was adopted within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty.
The plenary meeting of the CIS IA was preceded by meetings of the CIS IA’s commissions on defense and security–foreign policy affairs–economic and finance–nature protection and science and education.
The meeting of the Foreign Policy Commission discussed ways to oppose terrorism in Chechnya through combined efforts and the current situation in the Yugoslav provinces of Kosovo and Metokhia. It was due to the support of the Armenian delegation that the adoption of statemen’s became possible. The document on Chechnya was adopted both during the meetings of the Commission and the Council (with the delegation’s of Azerbaijan and Georgia expressing their special opinions). The statemen’s on Kosovo and Metokhia were also adopted at the plenary meeting proper.
The fourth Economic Forum in St. Petersburg took place on Wednesday–June 14. The forum was attended by Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov–regional leaders of Russia–entrepreneurs–politicians and others. Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Armen Khachatrian also made a speech of welcome. He gave assurances that Armenia’s National Assembly and Government are ready to consistently support the integration processes within the CIS.