MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Lawmakers from the Union state of Russia and Belarus place great significance on monitoring the Russian presidential election, Olga Petrashova, first deputy executive secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State, said.

"The current mission was particularly important for Union State lawmakers. We can all see that today, Russia is facing unparalleled pressure from the so-called collective West," she pointed out at a briefing hosted by Russia’s Central Election Commission.

Petrashova noted that in this environment, it was crucial to make sure that voters could freely express their will.

She specified that the observer mission representing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State included members of both chambers of the Belarusian parliament.

Petrashova highlighted the incredibly high level of voter activity in the election. "We saw lots of families with children at polling stations, as well as elderly people and youngsters," she stressed, adding that one could sense "a special atmosphere of civil responsibility and commitment to the country’s future."