On November 13–14, Dushanbe is hosting the latest session of the Commonwealth of Independent States Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (IPA CIS). Delegations from CIS member states have already arrived in the Tajik capital, according to the Dushanbe City Hall.
On November 12, Russian Federation Council (Russia’s upper chamber of parliament) Chair Valentina Matviyenko arrived in Dushanbe on a working visit ahead of the Assembly.
On November 13, she reportedly held talks with the Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), Rustam Emomali, who is also Mayor of Dushanbe. The two discussed the future of bilateral cooperation.
Natalya Kochanova, Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, also arrived in Dushanbe for participation in the IPA CIS session. The Council is the upper house of the National Assembly of Belarus,
During her meeting with Emomali, the two sides reportedly discussed the current state and prospects of strategic relations between Belarus and Tajikistan.
Agenda: regional security and legislative collaboration
Parliamentary delegations from Tajikistan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are taking part in the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly session. Representatives from various partner organizations are also attending.
The agenda includes discussions on strengthening interstate cooperation, expanding legislative frameworks, and ensuring regional security.
A meeting of the Assembly’s Council is also scheduled today, with participation from the heads of CIS member parliaments.
According to the Tajik state-run news agency Khovar, delegates will review the outcomes of the CIS Heads of State meeting from October 10, 2025, and the CIS Heads of Government meeting from September 29, 2025.
Discussions will also cover Tajikistan’s chairmanship of the CIS in 2025, the activities of the CIS Human Rights Commission, and the awarding of the Chingiz Aitmatov Prize.
In addition, the Assembly will approve its 2026 work plan and review the outcomes of this year’s initiatives.
Among the events being highlighted are:
· The 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress
· The 10th International Cultural and Educational Forum “Children of the Commonwealth,” held for the first time in Belarus
· The 2nd International Forum on Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories
· The Travel Hub Commonwealth tourism forum, both hosted in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia
In addition, members will be briefed on the outcomes of the 2nd International Conference “Russian Language as a Basis for Integration Dialogue in the CIS” and the International Scientific and Educational Congress “Intellectual Code of the Commonwealth.”
The Council will also review the results of the 25th Youth Inter-Parliamentary Assembly meeting. Parallel sessions of the IPA’s Permanent Commissions on Legal Issues and on Political Issues and International Cooperation will also be held.
The 59th plenary session of the IPA CIS is set to formally open on November 14. Parliamentarians will consider a range of documents, including model laws on pharmaceutical supply in CIS countries, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing creative industries, strengthening territorial defense, and enhancing the role of children’s rights commissioners. The session will also address recommendations on identifying and documenting human trafficking crimes within the Commonwealth.
The IPA CIS is a parliamentary assembly for delegations from the national parliaments of the member countries of the CIS. The IPA CIS was established on March 27, 1992 in Almaty (Kazakhstan) under the terms of the Agreement signed by Heads of founding parliaments. On May 26, 1995, CIS leaders signed the Convention on the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States] eventually ratified by nine CIS parliaments. The overarching mission is law-making and alignment of national laws in the CIS. The IPA is housed in the Tauride Palace in a historical landmark of Saint Petersburg.
The IPA CIS acts as the consultative parliamentary body of the CIS established to discuss problems of parliamentary cooperation. Its activity concentrates on the development of the model legislation, which could then be implemented by the Member States on the voluntary basis, and serve as a tool of dissemination of the best practices across the CIS. The Assembly is involved in the development of integration processes in the CIS. The IPA CIS regularly hosts specialized conferences, seminars and symposiums, which provide a platform for debate of the governmental and non-governmental actors. Another mission of the IPA CIS is election monitoring.
