Russian speaker intends to raise problem of Kaliningrad region at association of European Senates

Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council (the Upper Chamber of the Russian parliament) intends to raise the problem of the Kaliningrad Region at a meeting of the Association of European Senates which will be held in Ljubljana (Slovenia) on June 27-28. "The Federation Council is raising that issue everywhere, including at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and in every way supports the president's stand on it," stressed the speaker.

The Association of European Senates will be held under the aegis of the discussion of the subject "Two Chamber Parliament -- Democracy and the Role of a Civilian Society." According to the speaker, Russia needs to study Europe's experience of two-chamber parliaments, since in our country the parliament appeared not so long ago. "Russia needs any inter-parliamentary contacts which have already proved to be useful and effective for this country," said Mironov.

The Association of European Senates was established in Paris in 2000 and includes parliaments of member-countries of the European Union and the candidate-states to the Council of Europe. Russia so far is not its member.

Sergei Mironov said that one of the aims of his participation in the work of the association is to find out the terms of admission to membership. "Russia may join that organization which for us, parliamentarians, would be both useful and necessary," he said.