ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (APP): Speaker of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation Ms Valentina Matvienko has said that Russian Parliamentary delegation visit to Islamabad would enhance further progressive development cooperation between Russia and Pakistan.
Addressing the Senate of Pakistan on the invitation of Chairman Senate Syed Yosuf Raza Gillani here on Monday, she said that Pakistan and Russia have a long history of cordial relations and even in most difficult time Moscow and Islamabad kept up a dialogue. “ Now, one may note with satisfaction the similarity of our approaches to the majority of the issues on the international agenda,” she said.
Valentina added that both countries were interested in Afghan settlement and ensuring Central Asian security adding “ I am sure that we shall sustain our mutual understanding on the issues of global security and stability, prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, prohibition of biological, chemical and toxin weapons, inadmissibility of imposing illegal sanction mechanisms and of all forms of politicization of humanitarian cooperation including in sports”.
The Speaker said that Pakistan and Russia have consistently promoted a strengthened UN central coordinating role in international relations.
Welcoming the Pakistan’s election to the UN Security Council for 2005-26, she said that Pakistan took a non permanent seat for the last eight times which was testimony to Islamabad’s commitment to the principles and spirit of UN charter. She expressed hope that Pakistan would make significant contribution to the achievement of high goals of global security and peace in the UN Security Council.
She expected that Pakistan balance position, rich experience and the propound people wisdom and its leaders would bring a new perspective addressing local problems evidenced with the Pakistan’s active participation in UN peacekeeping missions in many regions of the world.
She noted that Pakistan’s interests in deepening cooperation with BRICS, a centre of multipolarity where all participants favor equality, good neighborliness and mutual respect.
She added that the Upper House of the Parliament shared these values and seeks their assertion in international arena. “We stand for more intensive interaction between legislators at multilateral fora, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly. We see a great potential in an enhanced cooperation in the formats of parliamentary friendship groups as well as through specialized committees of the upper houses of our parliaments.”
“We much count on the joint active work of the two parliaments in improving the legal framework for cooperation”.
She urged for more progressive development of trade and economic ties based on solid and time tested foundation. She added that Soviet Union helped Pakistan to develop its oil and gas industry, build major energy facilities and supplied agricultural machinery. In the 1970s-80, the USSR assisted in building the Pakistan Steel Mills in Karachi, became a symbol of our friendship.
Valentina remarked that Russia continuously kept the tradition of cooperation while in the past year alone, Russian-Pakistani trade turnover grew by more than 50 percent and exceeded one billion dollars for the first time. It grew by another 13 percent in January-August this year, she added.
She said that there were many promising areas for the development of economic cooperation including energy and agro-industrial complex.
Last year, the first shipment of Russian crude oil arrived at the port of Karachi, and by the end of the year its share in Russian exports to Pakistan exceeded 20 percent, she said.
The Speaker said that Russia was continuously contributing to Pakistan’s food security and increased grain supplies to the Pakistani market.
She noted that despite unfavourable weather conditions, Russian farmers have harvested over 132 million tons of grain this year guarantees Russia’s reliability as one of the world’s key agricultural exporters.
“Developing international transport corridors, primarily the North South International Transport Corridor, is relevant for our countries. This route is already operational, strengthening the connectivity between Northern Eurasia and the Global South. We welcome Pakistan’s interest in this project,” she said.
The Speaker said that both countries were pursuing a constructive political dialogue for stepped up cooperation in all areas, including the humanitarian one.
“We are now witnessing the revival of our bilateral cooperation in culture and sports, which has long-standing traditions. Faiz Ahmad Faiz, one of the greatest Urdu poets, was a sincere friend of our country who translated Rasul Gamzatov’s poetry about Russian great poet Alexander Pushkin and about the heroic defenders of my hometown, Leningrad,” she observed.
She quoted, “ Faiz Ahmed Faiz that Russia and Pakistan have much to teach each other, enriching each other’s cultures and opening new horizons for their friendship”.
“Today, we’re following this very vision by developing our scientific and educational cooperation while remarkable progress has been made in the bilateral agenda on higher education, recognition of diplomas and academic degrees,” she said.
She said friendly ties were being established between young people. We were glad that the Pakistani delegation took part in the World Youth Festival in Sochi, she added.
The Speaker said more Russians were showing interest in Pakistan adding, “ I would like to note Chat your country’s recent decision to waive visa fees should have a positive effect on the tourist flow resulting in strengthening good relations between Russia and Pakistan”.
She said the Federation Council, specialised committees, advisory and expert bodies had paid great attention to the topic of interfaith and interethnic relations adding parliaments have a vital role to play in maintaining dialogue with faiths and religious leaders. “Together with religious institutions, Russian legislators endeavour to preserve traditional spirit and moral values, protect the family, motherhood and childhood thus in Russia this year has been proclaimed the ‘Year of the Family’.
While addressing in Senate Ms Valentina said Russia historically emerged and developed as a state-civilization, home to multiple ethnic groups and religions, faiths, ethnicities, native languages that lived in peace and harmony for centuries.
In Russia, Islam is considered one of the traditional religions, and the Muslim Ummah is an integral part of our society, making a great contribution to maintaining peace and harmony, defending the Fatherland, preserving cultural diversity, strengthening the institution of family, and educating youth, she informed .
She pleased to feel the respect shown to see female senators in the in Pakistan’s Upper House adding “I know that the Constitution of Pakistan, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year, guaranteed the representation of women in Parliament which is steadily growing in both federal and provincial parliaments.
She noted that a large number of Pakistani women have broad access to education, politics and social activities.
Historically, it did not come easy as is the case anywhere else in the world, she said and added, “A striking example is the fate of Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister in Pakistan and the Muslim world. In her autobiography “Daughter of the East” which has been translated into Russian she wrote that politics was a difficult area of effort for a woman in any society; they still had to go the extra mile to prove that they are equal to men, they had to work harder and longer hours and make more sacrifices. I believe it to be true for women in any country. But we can see how (he situation is changing for the better”.
Dear colleagues, “We have a lot in common, Russia and Pakistan are federal States. Parliaments in both Russia and Pakistan are bicameral. The Senate, is also called the Federation Chamber, the federal structure of State. Similarly, the Federation Council of Russia is also called the Chamber of Regions and paid much attention to the development of cooperation between constituent entities of the federation and their foreign partners.
She said that expanding and developing cooperation with Pakistan was growing in the regions as well “We believe that closer interregional ties are very promising, an agreement in place on establishing direct ties between St. Petersburg and the province of Sindh signed in 2017.
She confident that the avenue of cooperation requires parliamentary support and needs to be upscaled to include other regions.
“We share similar goals, joint tasks and plans; this means that joint action is soon to follow and continues work to develop cooperation between Russia and Pakistan for the benefit of both countries and peoples,” she said.
At the end, she uttered Pakistan-Roosi dosti zindabad!
