DELEGATIONS TO INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ORGANIZATIONS   PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF INTER-PARLIAMENTARY AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING CONTACTS

A Belarusian Parliamentary delegation has taken part in the 115th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

A parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Belarus headed by the Chairman of the National Assembly Council of the Republic Mr. Gennady Novitsky took part in the 115th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and related meetings which were held in Geneva 16 — 18 October 2006. Other members of the delegation representing the Council of the Republic were senators Mr. Nikolai Cherginets and Mrs. Natalya Baranova.
        Following the Assembly’s agenda, members of the Belarusian delegation attended meetings of the three IPU Committees where issues of cooperation in the field of strengthening world peace in the fight against terrorism and provision of energy security were considered. Among other subjects dealt with by IPU members was the role of parliaments in overseeing the process of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, in particular, in relation to debt relief, eradication of poverty and corruption as well as the problem of missing persons. Moreover, senator N.Cherginets took part in a meeting of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and senator N.Baranova attended meetings of the Coordinating Committee of women-parliamentarians.
        While in Geneva, members of the Belarus National Assembly delegation had a number of meetings with representatives of various organizations, in particular, the Assembly of Western European Union and the Parliamentary Union of States – Members of the Islamic Conference. Besides, they had meetings with their colleagues from parliamentary delegations of Armenia, Belgium, Egypt, Iran, Cuba, Lebanon, Mexico, Syria, the Philippines, France, Chile and the Republic of South Africa and discussed with them matters of bilateral cooperation in the international arena. During the meeting between the IPU Chairman Mr. P.F.Casini and the leader of the Belarus delegation prospects of developing relations between the Republic of Belarus and the world organization of parliaments as well as its future reform were considered.