DUSHANBE, November 12, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajik parliamentary delegation, led by Amirsho Miraliyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament) has departed fro Brussels, Belgium to attend the next meeting of the European Parliament’s Central Asia and Mongolia Delegation.
Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, says the Tajik delegation members include the Majlisi Namoyandagon members Galiya Rabiyeva and Rustam Latipov.
According to him, the meeting that will last till November 14 will consider ways to expand cooperation of the European Parliament with the parliaments of Central Asia’s nations.
During their stay in Brussels, Tajik MPs are also scheduled to hold talks with members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to discuss issues related to the economic and environmental situation in the Central Asian region and use of water-and-energy resources in the region.
The European Parliament (EP) is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU). Together with the Council of the European Union (the Council) and the European Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world.
Delegations of the European Parliament are responsible for relations with Parliaments outside the EU. There are 34 delegations made up of around 15 MEPs, chairpersons of the delegations also cooperate in a conference like the committee chairs do.
Delegations maintain and develop the European Parliament’s international contacts. Accordingly, delegation activities, on the one hand, are aimed at maintaining and enhancing contacts with parliaments of States that are traditionally partners of the European Union and, on the other hand, contribute to promoting in third countries the values on which the European Union is founded, namely the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
