On 21 May 2026, St. Petersburg hosted a meeting of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS IPA). The meeting was opened by the Chairperson of the CIS IPA Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko.
The meeting was attended by the heads of parliamentary delegations from the Commonwealth countries, demonstrating a high level of interparliamentary dialogue. The participants included:
- Dunyagozel Gulmanova, Chairperson of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan;
- Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan;
- Natalya Kochanova, Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus;
- Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan;
- Marlen Mamataliev, Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan;
- Faizali Idizoda, Chairman of the Majlisi namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan;
- Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan;
- Akob Arshakyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia.
Address by the Delegation of Turkmenistan
During the meeting, the Turkmen side emphasized the strategic priorities of the country’s foreign policy. It was stressed that Turkmenistan, whose legal status of permanent neutrality has been recognized three times by the UN General Assembly, is actively integrating into the global political, economic, and legal space.
Special attention in the speech was paid to the significance of Ashgabat’s international initiatives. The resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly with the support of member states on the initiative of Turkmenistan are directly aimed at promoting global peace, strengthening mutual trust, and establishing strategic energy routes and transit-transport corridors.
Representatives of the Mejlis characterized the CIS as a reliable platform based on the principles of mutual respect and equality. According to the Turkmen side, the CIS not only covers a broad geographical area but also plays a vital role in developing centuries-old historical, political, economic, and cultural-humanitarian ties between nations, serving as an open platform for expanding long-term multi-vector cooperation.
Agenda
The parliamentarians reviewed a wide range of issues covering lawmaking, monitoring of electoral processes, and humanitarian cooperation:
- Election Monitoring: The Council members discussed the results of observation by international experts from the CIS IPA of the early parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan and the referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution of Kazakhstan, as well as the progress of preparations for monitoring the upcoming elections to the National Assembly of Armenia.
- Outcomes and Plans for Lawmaking: Dmitry Kobitsky, Secretary General of the CIS IPA Council, briefed the participants on the outcomes of the Assembly’s activities in 2025 and presented the draft Perspective Plan for Model Lawmaking in the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2026–2028.
- Preserving Historical Memory: The successful implementation of systematic events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory across the Commonwealth countries was noted. This topic will be further discussed during the plenary session of the Assembly.
- Environmental Safety: The participants heard a report on the activities of the Expert Advisory Board on Ecology and Nature Management at the CIS IPA, which has been operating since 2022.
The significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement reached by the heads of parliamentary delegations that the autumn session of the Assembly will be held in Ashgabat. This decision highlights the key role of Turkmenistan, which holds the chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2026.
The CIS IPA Council approved a number of important regulatory and personnel decisions. In particular, the chairs of the permanent commissions of the Assembly were approved, and the mandate of the head of the Expert Advisory Board on Ecology was extended for a three-year term.
In order to strengthen humanitarian and scientific ties across the CIS space, a number of new awards were established:
- The CIS IPA Badge of Honor “For Merits in the Development of Science and Education” (with the possibility of awarding young scientists and postgraduate students regardless of their length of service);
- The Badge of Honor “For Merits in the Development of Healthcare”;
- The Commemorative Badge “CIS IPA. 35 Years”;
- The CIS IPA Lyudmila Verbitskaya Prize for contribution to the development and dissemination of the Russian language.
Furthermore, it was announced that the 2026 Chingiz Aitmatov Prize was awarded to Nikolai Cherginets, People’s Writer and Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Belarus. ///nCa, 22 May 2026