Gennady Seleznyov, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, received a delegation of the National Council of the Parliament of the Republic of Austria headed by its President, Heinz Fischer, which is staying on an official visit to Moscow.

Taking part in the meeting were Alexander Shabanov, deputy chairman of the International Affairs Committee, and Oleg Naumov, coordinator of the deputies' group for liaison with the Parliament of Austria.

The sides positively assessed the development of parliamentary Russian-Austrian contacts. Seleznyov noted that early in the autumn session, the State Duma is planning to ratify the intergovernmental agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between Russia and Austria. The bill was submitted to the House by the Government on June 18.

The end of the spring session, Seleznyov said, is proceeding in an "ambulance" mode by virtue of the necessity to adopt urgent government bills. In the course of the work mutual relations between the State Duma and the President bear a constructive character. The Head of State is taking counsel on acute problems with deputies' associations.

Seleznyov and Fischer paid special attention to international problems associated with the formation of the European Union. The entry into the EU of Poland and Lithuania is complicating the position of the Kaliningrad oblast, stressed the Chairman of the State Duma. He urged the Austrian colleagues to back the Russian deputies in their striving to ensure the territorial integrity of the state, and for the co-citizens living in the oblast - normal conditions of life and travel in their own country.

Fischer answered: "On the one hand it is necessary to take into account the just demands of Russia, and on the other - the openness of internal boundaries requires a reliable protection of the external boundaries." The European Commission has been directed to study all the approaches to the problem. The subject will be raised also at an upcoming OSCE conference in Berlin.


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© Publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

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