On Thursday February 24, Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali, who is also Head of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper house of parliament), met here with Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council (Russia’s upper chamber of parliament), who arrived in Tajikistan on an official visit, the Dushanbe City Hall says.
Rustam Emomali reportedly noted that Tajikistan attached significance to its relations with the Russian Federation, adding that the inter-parliamentary cooperation is an important branch of these relationships.
The parties reportedly discussed state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.
Emomali and Matviyenko expressed satisfaction the progress of consideration of issues related to labor migration and implementation of joint projects in the education sector.
The Federation Council press center says that during the meeting Matviyenko informed Rustam Emomali in detail about the position and actions of Russia in connection with the Ukraine crisis and the need to protect citizens of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic.
She, in particular, stressed that the special military operation announced by the President of the Russian President was aimed at ending hostilities and ceasing fire.
Meanwhile, Russian media reports say Matviyenko told reporters during a visit to Tajikistan on Thursday that the Russian military operation in Ukraine will make the administration of this country negotiate,
She also said she hopes the Ukrainian army will lay down its weapons.
"Maybe it will finally make the Ukrainian regime sit down at the negotiation table. It can't go on like this," Matviyenko said, according to Interfax.
"The military operation declared by the Russian president is aimed at ceasing fire, at stopping military action, and there is just no other way to do that except by conducting a special military operation," she said.
Otherwise "the next step would have been the acceptance of Ukraine in NATO and the move of NATO directly to the Russian borders," she said.
"By conducting such an operation we are ensuring our own security, too," she said.
"Of course, we are very concerned, to prevent civilian casualties," she said, adding that she hopes the Ukrainian troops will lay down their weapons.
Commenting on the address by Russian intellectuals, who spoke about the military operation, she said that "those who think that are wrong."
"Of course, one can think about some current problems, which will arise. But not thinking about the security of such a big country, such an important country on the international scene and not thinking that one day someone may encroach on the sovereignty of our country, on our oil and gas deposits and many other things, which we have heard many times, and, most importantly, that events may occur that will disrupt our peaceful life… These things need to be prevented, and that is exactly the reason why such a decision was made," she said.
A military operation is needed "to give our country a peaceful sky," Matviyenko said.
Russia is "a powerful, strong country, we will overcome all these things, we can do it, we will develop our economy more effectively, defend the people, ensure their social wellbeing," she said.
