Serbian parliament speaker takes part in Moscow forum

MOSCOW Serbian Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic has said that parliamentary cooperation with Russia was "very significant" for his country. He made the remark while addressing the “Contemporary Parliamentarianism and the Future of Democracy” forum in Moscow on Monday. Serbian parliament speaker takes part in Moscow forum Stefanovic added that for Serbia, parliamentary cooperation with the Russian Federation is one of guidelines for achieving all mentioned capacities - from parliamentary diplomacy to affirmation of the parliament's role in relation to the executive power which is of influence in determining priorities and following the ratified documents through the oversight capacities of the executive power. "The world's parliaments are in various phases of modelling the procedures in international cooperation, but they are all trying to find an answer to one question - how to position themselves with regard to new challenges," he said. Apart from few exceptions, parliaments have an important role in the ratification of international agreements, and then in their implementation, he noted. Nevertheless, in many countries, parliaments have a limited role in the ratification process, the Serbian parliament speaker noted, and added: "There is a possibility for speeding up the ratification process in the Serbian parliament, but before this legislature, that opportunity has not often been used." Stefanovic pointed to the other issue - the parliament's qualified stand and capacity for analysis and possible agreement implementations, as that role is, at least in Europe, being used by a very small number of parliaments. "My vision is the parliament that would have significant support of expert services, that would widen MPs' knowledge about every issue so that by strengthening committees, the parliament's role could be expanded, and its part in creating, and not only decision-making based on the offered opportunities," he said. One of the most important roles of the parliament is its oversight function, so trainings should be organized for MPs and expert services that would make them more skilled in performing their oversight duties, Stefanovic said. The forum in Moscow has brought together 250 officials, and was opened by Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin. Aside participating in the forum, Stefanovic will on Monday also have separate meetings with Naryshkin and Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee. The forum's participants also comprise: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori, the Armenian and Belarus parliament speakers, the Finnish deputy speaker and others. The Serbian delegation, headed by Stefanovic, also includes Jadranka Joksimovic, Dragomir Karic and Sanda Raskovic-Ivic. Nebojsa Stefanovic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Serbian parliament speaker takes part in Moscow forum

Stefanović added that for Serbia, parliamentary cooperation with the Russian Federation is one of guidelines for achieving all mentioned capacities - from parliamentary diplomacy to affirmation of the parliament's role in relation to the executive power which is of influence in determining priorities and following the ratified documents through the oversight capacities of the executive power.

"The world's parliaments are in various phases of modelling the procedures in international cooperation, but they are all trying to find an answer to one question - how to position themselves with regard to new challenges," he said.

Apart from few exceptions, parliaments have an important role in the ratification of international agreements, and then in their implementation, he noted.

Nevertheless, in many countries, parliaments have a limited role in the ratification process, the Serbian parliament speaker noted, and added:

"There is a possibility for speeding up the ratification process in the Serbian parliament, but before this legislature, that opportunity has not often been used."

Stefanović pointed to the other issue - the parliament's qualified stand and capacity for analysis and possible agreement implementations, as that role is, at least in Europe, being used by a very small number of parliaments.

"My vision is the parliament that would have significant support of expert services, that would widen MPs' knowledge about every issue so that by strengthening committees, the parliament's role could be expanded, and its part in creating, and not only decision-making based on the offered opportunities," he said.

One of the most important roles of the parliament is its oversight function, so trainings should be organized for MPs and expert services that would make them more skilled in performing their oversight duties, Stefanović said.

The forum in Moscow has brought together 250 officials, and was opened by Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin.

Aside participating in the forum, Stefanović will on Monday also have separate meetings with Naryshkin and Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee.

The forum's participants also comprise: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori, the Armenian and Belarus parliament speakers, the Finnish deputy speaker and others.

The Serbian delegation, headed by Stefanović, also includes Jadranka Joksimović, Dragomir Karić and Sanda Rašković-Ivić.