Russian delegation to call for giving up aggression against Syria

Russia’s delegation will raise the question of possible aggression against Syria and speak about unacceptability of armed interference in other countries’ affairs at the G8 Parliamentary Speakers’ Meeting due to take place in London on September 6-7, 2013, said Sergei Zheleznyak, deputy speaker of the State Duma, lower house of Russia’s parliament. Zheleznyak will be head of the Russian delegation at the G8 Meeting. “This year the Speakers’ Meeting will focus on several key international issues,” the Duma lawmaker said. He said he is hopeful that the parliament speakers would also discuss “major issues of international security, including the escalation of military conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, and the possible aggression against Syria”. “These issues should be substantially discussed in order to search for ways to resolve them by peaceful means and prevent the humanitarian catastrophe,” Zheleznyak said. He pledged to exert effort “to convince the G8 colleagues that it is unacceptable to pursue such policy for the countries, which consider themselves civilized and democratic”. The Duma deputy speaker said he is sure that the G8 parliaments “will seek to make changes in Russian legislation. I’ll try to explain the essence of the changes and reply to my colleagues’ questions”. “The parliament speakers will exchange experience in maintaining contacts between parliaments and citizens and involve most active people in law making,” Zheleznyak said. “The speakers’ meeting can allow us to reach a new level and help solve the humanitarian problems that international parliaments face if parliamentarians act for the benefit of electors, who can hardly seek war and crises,” the Duma deputy speaker said.