NUR-SULTAN Sept 24 (Interfax) - Parliamentary organizations must react to the dismantlement of international agreements, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the 4th Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments on Tuesday.
"Do we understand the consequences of say, for instance, the United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty when we silently agree to that? Or do we see the risk and express our stance?" Volodin said.
"If this puts the entire global community at risk, we must do everything to keep the peace. It is inadmissible and dangerous to be silent under such circumstances," he said.
"In fact, we must admit problems existing in international relations, in institutions created earlier, and in fulfillment of international agreements and treaties," Volodin said.
"The world has not encountered such problems before," he said.
"Despite the obvious problems, not one international parliamentary organization has demanded that a breach of international agreements stop," Volodin said.
At the same time, "the purpose of international parliamentary organizations is to discuss and offer solutions to problems, no matter how difficult they might be, on the principles of equality," he said.
"Regrettably, they are increasingly playing the role of political organizations, which is limited to the expression of contradictory opinions and monitoring processes. This activity brings more harm than benefit because it disregards national culture, history, religious factors, traditions, and customs," Volodin said.
"Double standards have become such ordinary practice in international relations that everyone has stopped paying attention," he said.
At the same time, parliamentarians "bear responsibility to citizens of their countries for preventing escalation of conflicts, humanitarian catastrophes, impoverishment of people, and destruction of states," Volodin said.