Eurasian Union parliament idea under discussion

MOSCOW, 13 September (BelTA) – Representatives of the parliaments of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan are discussing the creation of a parliamentary body of the Eurasian Economic Union. The topic was in the center of attention of the meeting held in Moscow on 13 September to discuss the operation of a working group on the parliamentary dimension of the Eurasian economic integration, BelTA has learned.

Opening the meeting, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said: “We will have to discuss the draft resolution on the parliamentary body of the Eurasian Economic Union. The resolution will be made part of the universal treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union that will come into force on 1 January 2015”.

Sergei Naryshkin specified that participants of the session would have to work out a draft resolution on the working group on the parliamentary dimension of the Eurasian economic integration and a draft memorandum on the concept for forming the Eurasian parliamentary body. The State Duma Speaker remarked that the sides would have to determine whether it would be a full-fledged parliamentary body to be elected via direct vote or whether it would be a parliamentary assembly with delegates sent by the parliaments of the three countries. Sergei Naryshkin himself was in favor of a two-step process: a parliamentary assembly is created to be followed by a full-fledged Eurasian parliament.

The State Duma Speaker also remarked that the working group would be able to discuss the process of ratification of Customs Union and Single Economic Space treaties by the parliaments of the three countries. He reminded that last year 17 treaties were signed within the G3 framework, with four more signed this year. Several more dozens of trilateral treaties are in the pipeline, said Sergei Naryshkin.

The Speaker of the State Duma of Russia said: “We face a difficult task. We are at the source of origin of a parliamentary body of the Eurasian Economic Union”.