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Russian senator calls on Eurasian countries’ legislators to join efforts in war on terror

The Russian State Duma speaker stresses 'cooperation in combating new threats and challenges is particularly important nowadays'

SEOUL, June 27. /TASS/. Members of the Eurasian countries’ parliaments need to harmonize laws concerning security and the fight against terrorism, Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the Second Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments (MSEAP) in Seoul.

"National parliaments and inter-parliamentary organizations should outline common approaches to the fight against terrorism and harmonize security laws," Volodin pointed out.

According to the senior Russian lawmaker, effective cooperation in combating new threats and challenges is particularly important nowadays. In this connection, he mentioned terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and migration issues.

"The current meeting can be a starting point for drawing up specific proposals," the State Duma speaker added.

"In the future, the Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments may become a new platform where legislators could exchange their lawmaking experience and coordinate activities in key fields," Volodin said.

He expressed support for the statement made by Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly Chung Sye-kyun, in which he said that the forum could become a new institution for exchanging views and outlining decisions. "We need to discuss this matter today, and perhaps we will draw some specific proposals," the politician added.

The State Duma speaker pointed out that he particularly meant parliamentary cooperation in the economic sphere, science, technology, medicine, the environmental protection and humanitarian projects.

According to Volodin, the meeting taking place in the South Korean capital proves that the Eurasian countries take a huge interest in integration processes. "We all stand for mutually beneficial cooperation in Eurasia," he noted. The senior Russian lawmaker stressed that this kind of dialogue was based "not on political goals but on the willingness to learn to understand each other better and bring our positions on key development issues closer together."

In this connection, the State Duma speaker expressed hope that "this open format will attract new participants."

Digital economy

Volodin has invited Eurasian lawmakeres to establish permanent interaction in the field of digital economy at both the legislative and expert levels. He put forward the initiative at the second meeting of parliament speakers of Eurasian countries underway in Seoul.

"It would be appropriate to establish permanent working contacts between the relevant committees that would involve not only lawmakers but also representatives of the expert community, scientific, academic and business circles," Volodin said.

"Our time is a time of development of the digital economy and technologies. As you understand, they are already becoming an integral part of people’s lives," the speaker went on to say calling for appropriate legislative decisions.

Volodin noted that the meeting is being held in South Korea, a country that is one of the leaders in the development of the digital economy. He noted, however, that practically all countries have their own experience of developing legislation in that area.

"Our country, just like many others, pays attention to this," the State Duma speaker said. He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin singled out the digital economy issue as a development priority. "For us, legislators, a new area emerges for regulating human-robot relations, developing artificial intelligence, using cryptocurrencies, ensuring digital security, and that’s not a complete list of the issues that require our solutions," he added.

According to Volodin, these mechanisms could be used to maintain multilateral contacts between the meetings and form packages of specific proposals for subsequent discussion at the annual meetings of Eurasian parliaments' speakers. In light of that, he supported the cyber secretariat mechanism proposed by Speaker of the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly, Chung Sye-kyun, that could play a coordinating role in that work.