Stephen Lendman

On Saturday, he addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU) in St. Petersburg - where Russia’s first parliament, the State Duma, was established in 1906, the body a contributing factor in the 1917 revolution, abolishing czarist rule.

The IPU is the world’s oldest international parliamentary organization, established in 1889. Its membership includes parliaments of 173 nations. Annual conferences are held in cities worldwide - last year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, next year in Geneva, Switzerland. Putin noted Russia’s post-Soviet Constitution will mark its 25th anniversary next year, explaining the nation continues developing its “democratic, representative institutions of power and enhancing the legislative branch’s authority and importance.”

World parliaments are involved in “searching for efficient answers to modern challenges and threats that are common to all of us,” he noted.

Of vital importance is eroding international law, the cornerstone of civilized societies. Global conflicts, instability and chaos stem from failure to observe it by some nations.

US-led Western ones and their rogue allies bear full responsibility. Putin politely left them unmentioned. Law observance and free dialogue “are the fundamentals of parliamentary work,” he explained, adding:

“This is why, against the current backdrop, parliamentary diplomacy is in such high demand, as it can consolidate trust between states and nations and help find compromise solutions to pressing international and regional problems.”

“Unfortunately, we are seeing increasingly active attempts to limit direct contacts and communication among law-makers.”

“I am referring to the practice of imposing discriminatory limitations and sanctions, often extending to parliamentarians as well.”

Responsible nations are clear. Conference attendees needed no elaboration. Putin justifiably called these hostile actions “unacceptable, harmful and misguided” - counterproductive as well.

These practices contradict the “sovereign right of each state to express and stand for its point of view in a civilized and open manner,” he stressed.

“Each state has a natural and indisputable right to shape its destiny as stipulated in the UN Charter.”

“Attempts to interfere in the lives of sovereign countries, without understanding or taking into account their national specifics, brings nothing but chaos.”

“(E)ternal interference” destabilized the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and elsewhere.

Russia is the world’s leading force in combating terrorism, America, NATO and their rogue allies its perpetrators and supporters - my words, not Putin’s, an issue he keenly understands.

He criticized what he called “double standards” and “hidden agendas” by some nations, obvious which ones he meant.

Combating terrorism effectively requires cooperative efforts by countries involved in the effort.

“Russia has repeatedly urged others to create a wide international coalition to this end and still believes that building a real partnership to fight terror is critically important,” Putin explained.

He authorized intervention to combat the scourge in Syria at the request of its government, important progress made in the past two years, liberating well over 10,000 square miles of territory held by US-supported terrorists.

The latest success was freeing Al-Mayadeen, ISIS’ stronghold in Deir Ezzor province, Russia’s Defense Ministry explaining its fighters were eliminated and removed from 92% of the country’s territory they held.

Putin stressed Russian forces acted “in coordination with the country’s government and strictly in compliance with international law” - polar opposite how Washington and its rogue allies operate.

Russia’s goal, along with Iran and Hezbollah, is eliminating the scourge of US-supported terrorism in Syria entirely - no simple task despite important progress achieved because Washington wants endless war, regime change, along with destroying Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity, not conflict resolution, peace, stability, and strict observance of international law.

Putin stressed the importance of international community members supporting “post-war restoration of the state…aid(ing) other countries in the region…contribut(ing) to their socioeconomic development…”

He urged cooperation in restoring and preserving peace, saying he’s sure “the overwhelming majority of parliamentarians share this approach.”

His remarks are always refreshingly candid and straightforward - worlds apart from his Western counterparts.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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