200 representatives of the South American continent take part in the Russia-Latin America parliamentary conference

The first international parliamentary conference Russia-Latin America is concluding its work in the Russian capital. It opened on Friday, 29 September, and will continue until Monday, 2 October, as reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a welcoming speech at the opening of the conference. In particular, he reminded that Russia has long-standing political, economic, trade and cultural ties with Latin American countries, which are being renewed and expanded in line with the changing global agenda.

"As for our relations with Latin American countries directly, I would single out several things that I consider to be a priority. These relations are, firstly, friendly, constructive and mutually beneficial. They are developing on the basis of equality and mutual consideration of interests. Our common assets include a number of large mutually beneficial investment and high-tech projects. A high level of cooperation is maintained with Latin American countries in the humanitarian sphere. The number of countries with which we have established a visa-free regime is steadily growing - currently it covers 27 Latin American states. This opens up more and more opportunities for business, scientific and cultural exchanges, as well as increasing counter tourist flows"

Vladimir Putin President of Russia

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that more than 200 representatives of the South American continent are taking part, including parliamentarians, public figures and diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean. They are discussing current issues on the international parliamentary agenda, strengthening cooperation with their Russian counterparts. Many bilateral meetings took place during the event.

The conference included round tables devoted to equal and mutually beneficial economic cooperation, as well as the development of humanitarian ties between Russia and Latin America.

The participants talked about the role of parliamentary diplomacy in building a just multipolar world and addressing security issues.

The last day of the event will close with a plenary session on the theme "Russia and Latin America: cooperation for a just world for all", which will be held in the State Duma.

Earlier, Volodin noted that more and more countries are choosing in favour of an independent policy, adopting a development model based on the protection of their national interests, and seeing Russia as a reliable partner with whom relations can be built on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

Photo: screenshot of the live broadcast of the Russia-Latin America parliamentary conference