As part of our ongoing involvement with the formal exchange between the U.S. Congress and the Russian Duma, AFPC hosted a dinner for the latest delegation of Duma members on May 19.
Duma-Congress Exchange
The Duma-Congress Study Group grew out of an agreement to increase legislative cooperation.
This was the Study Group’s third meeting. The first took place in Washington in January 1997, while the second, in May 1997, was in Moscow. The exchange’s second year is slated to conclude with a U.S. delegation to Moscow in December.
Some of the issues raised in this meeting’s plenary sessions were:
- weapons sales to Iraq and Iran;
- START II;
- legislation on Russian adoptions;
- foreign investment in Russia;
- NATO expansion; and
- repeal of the Jackson-Vanik Act
The delegation was made up of seven Duma members who occupy leadership positions within the Parliament and two senior staff members. The Duma deputies were:
- Vladimir Ryzhkov, first deputy speaker of the Duma;
- Alexei Chernyshev, chair of the Agriculture Committee;
- Sergei Kalashnikov, chair of the Labor and Social Policy Committee;
- Zoya Kornilova, deputy chair of the Natural Resources Committee;
- Vladimir Lukin, chair of the International Affairs Committee;
- Vladimir Medvedev, chair of the Russia’s Regions Group and member of the State Duma Leadership Council; and
- Pyotr Svechnikov, member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
During the recent formation of the Primakov cabinet, Mr. Ryzhkov was offered the position of deputy prime minister, which he later declined. Sergei Kalashnikov has since become the minister of labor.
Decision Makers Meet Face to Face
The 54 dinner guests included Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA-7), Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC-11), senior Congressional staff, policy makers from government agencies, senior analysts from think tanks and NGOs, and representatives of industry and business.
The wide variety of guests sparked lively discussion on issues such as ballistic missile defense weapons proliferation and tech transfers, agricultural policy , the environment, natural resources, economic reform, and the political situation in Russia and the U.S., giving all sides a better understanding of areas of agreement and disagreement.