Russian parliamentarians to accept US colleagues in Moscow for dialogue on Syria

Chairman of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin said that the Russian parliament did not intend to give up contacts with the US congressmen and ready to take their delegation in Moscow, despite the earlier refusal of Washington to discuss “the Syrian issue” with the deputies of the Russian Federation.

“We are open for discussion. This is the strength of our position “, – told reporters on Tuesday Naryshkin, answering the question on board of the aircraft which took off from Strasbourg to Moscow, according to Voice of Russia, TASS, Interfax.

At the invitation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe speaker participated in the fall session of this international organization and spoke today at the PACE tribune and answered the questions of European parliamentarians.

In early September, when there was a real threat of force strike against Damascus, and the issue had to be discussed in Congress, a group of deputies of the State Duma was formed, ready to immediately fly to the US for meetings with the US colleagues.

Russian MPs wanted to use all the possibilities, including parliamentary diplomacy for the peaceful settlement of the conflict around Syria. However, Congress did not support this initiative and refused to accept the Duma delegation.

Naryshkin, meanwhile, believes that it is in the mutual interests to continue communication, despite the difference of positions, especially that at the level of diplomats resolution on Syria has been reached.

The speaker shared with the reporters information which he said, has not yet officially been confirmed, “The information was passed that allegedly they (the Congress) are discussing the possibility to come here.”

Responding to a question if he was satisfied with his performance in PACE, Naryshkin said: “I have a good mood.”

He added that that was the first time he visited Strasbourg and he enjoyed the city.

PACE to debate Syria situation, hear Naryshkin

An autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has  opened  . A speech to be made by Sergei Naryshkin, Speaker of the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament, as RF delegation leader Alexei Pushkov put it, will be the session’s “central event”.

Pushkov recalled that Naryshin’s visit had been planned at PACE a year ago but “was frustrated through the efforts of a number of national delegations that suggested draft recommendations about a discriminatory double monitoring of Russia”.

“In such conditions, the (Duma Speaker’s) trip turned out to be impossible. The draft recommendations were then turned down, and there are no obstacles (to the visit) any longer now,” the RF chief delegate emphasized.

He said that about 50 Europarliamentarians expressed readiness to put questions to the State Duma Speaker.

“There will be five main questions from all political groups of PACE,” Pushkov pointed out, adding that he expects a discussion of the most acute problems of the Russia-Europe agenda.

An urgent debate on how to settle the conflict in Syria is expected to be held within the scope of the session. “Syria is the key issue of world politics and, undoubtedly, PACE must adopt its own resolution on the issue,” Pushkov said.

In the opinion of the RF chief delegate, “A very serious evolution (of views) on the  crisis in Syria occurred in Strasbourg”.

Pushkov said that a statement had been even adopted at the PACE Bureau session in Croatia, the statement which laid emphasis on the assumption that the crisis in Syria must be solved by political methods, not by the use of force, and that any use of chemical weapons by any side involved in the conflict is inadmissible”.

M.D.