Wednesday marked an historic occasion in the official relationship between the Fiji’s Parliament and the Russian Federation Council, which is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (Parliament of the Russian Federation).

The Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with her counterpart Valentina Matvieko in a special ceremony held in Moscow.

The MOU signifies the importance of the partnership between the two Parliaments and is guided by the desire to further strengthen and expand the inter-parliamentary co-operation on a friendly and mutually beneficial basis in the interest of developing relations between the two countries.

“The signing of the MOU is very critical to us and we are very proud that this parliamentary partnership has been established,” said Dr Luveni.

“This parliamentary relationship yet marks an occasion where the momentum of the relationship between Fiji and Russia continues.”

The momentum carries on from the visit to Russia by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in June 2013 where a couple of agreements and MOUs were signed.

President of the Federation Council Ms Matvieko said that the relationship between the two countries was already a dynamic one and the MOU was a sound foundation for the new parliamentary partnership.

“Russia and Fiji are geographically distant from one another, but this does not prevent our countries to develop friendship,” Ms Matvieko said.

Ms Matvieko also added that the Federation Council “is interested in co-operation with the Parliament of Fiji in the international parliamentary exchanges, such as the international parliamentary union and the Asia-Pacific inter-parliamentary forum.”

Ms Matvieko also handed Dr Luveni a special booklet that offers practical aspects of organising and of the presidency of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in hosting the forthcoming APPF Annual meeting.

“As a first step towards the implementation of the memorandum signed today we gave our colleagues a solid material for the preparation of the Forum,” said Ms Matvienko.

Fiji will be hosting the next APPF meeting in January 2017.

The MOU signed agrees to the broadening of political, economic, scientific and humanitarian ties between Russia and Fiji, practice parliamentary delegation exchanges to promote closer interaction with each other in the interest of further development of inter-parliamentary co-operation.

In addition to other co-operation aspects in the MOU, both Parliaments agree to exchange information on legislative procedures, legislations, parliamentary procedures, as well as about the official publications and other documents of mutual interest pursuant to the legislation of Russia and Fiji.

The memorandum of understanding runs for five years and will be prolonged automatically for the next five-year term unless either party decides otherwise.

Joining the Speaker in the ceremony were Minister of Agriculture Inia Seruiratu, Opposition Member of Parliament Jiosefa Dulakiverata, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Robin Nair, Fiji’s non-resident Ambassador to Russia Isikeli Mataitoga, and other Fijian delegation officials.

The delegation will have more official meetings with the Russian government departments and election officials before they return to Fiji.

Source: Fiji Parliament News

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