On 22 May, the 60th Plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations was held in St. Petersburg. Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of the Council of the IPA CIS and Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, chaired the session.

RANEPA St. Petersburg delegation, headed by Andrey Khlyutkov, Director, participated in the festive event. Sergey Sergevnin, Dean of the Faculty of Law, was awarded an Honorary for his active participation in the activities of the IPA and its bodies and his contribution to strengthening friendship between the peoples of the CIS member states.

The IPA CIS is a unique and, arguably, the most effective platform for harmonizing the legal systems of our states. The role of the IPA CIS is difficult to overestimate: it is here that a unified legal framework is formed and model laws are adopted, which subsequently form the basis of the national legislation of the member states. Without this work, neither economic integration nor joint response to challenges and threats would be possible.

For many years, the Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg has been not just an observer, but an active participant in this process. We are involved in providing expert support and directly developing model laws—from concept to final text. This is not only an opportunity to contribute to the development of the Commonwealth but also a unique experience for our scholars and students.

Andrey Khlutkov, Director, RANEPA St. Petersburg

Our students in Law had an excellent chance to visit the Tauride Palace—a symbol of the Russian parliamentarism, once the seat of the first State Duma (Parliament) and nowadays the headquarters of the IPA CIS.