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Russian upper house speaker says Turkmenistan plans to join Inter-Parliamentary Union

According to Valentina Matviyenko, Turkmenistan’s application may be sustained at the Union’s assembly due to be held in Russia’s St. Petersburg in October

ASHGABAT, September 17. /TASS/. Turkmenistan’s parliament have passed a decision to join the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the oldest international parliamentary organization, visiting speaker of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house Valentina Matviyenko said on Sunday after a meeting with her Turkmen counterpart, Akdzha Nurberdyeva.

According to Matviyenko, Turkmenistan’s application may be sustained at the Union’s assembly due to be held in Russia’s St. Petersburg in October.

"We are glad that Turkmenistan’s parliament has passed a decision to join the Inter-Parliamentary Union," she said, adding that this oldest international organization now has 172 nations and could be seen as "the United Nations’ inter-parliamentary dimension."

"This October, St. Petersburg will host the 137th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and we are glad that Turkmenistan will join the Union during an assembly held in Russia," Matviyenko stressed. "It will give Turkmenistan’s parliament new possibilities for international cooperation and relations with other parliaments. We will do our best to have this application sustained and to have Turkmenistan join this big international inter-parliamentary family as an equal member.".

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