State Duma speaker shares Iranian counterpart’s view on global situation

ST. PETERSBURG, October 13. /TASS/. Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has said that he shares Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani’s view on the global situation and ineffectiveness of sanctions as a tool for exerting pressure on countries. "Your assessment of the global situation is worth considering, moreover, we share your view," the senior Russian lawmaker said at a meeting with Larijani, held on the sidelines of the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. "Sanctions cannot help bring positions closer together and improve relations. Those who impose sanctions should understand that it is counterproductive. They are wrong if they think that it is possible to resolve the situation through sanctions, as sanctions only exacerbate problems," Volodin noted. The State Duma speaker pointed out that "hasty and erroneous decisions have led to crises in Libya, Iran and Syria." "We can see that the consequences of these decisions have been affecting these countries and Europe," he added. "The destruction of states, numerous victims and millions of refugees - this is the result of steps and decisions concerning those countries, which were meant to do them good but in fact that goal was just a cover," Volodin said. He also noted that the increasing migration, triggered by those conflicts, "leads to many new problems, particularly in the security field." "This is why it would be right not only to discuss those issues on the parliamentary level but also to take decisions," he stressed. "We oppose the double standard policy and in this regard we share your concerns related to the Iranian nuclear program," Volodin said addressing Larijani. "Definitely, it would be better if we lived in a world where interstate institutions were effective. In this connection, the recent attack on the United Nations institutions and attempts to discredit them cause concern," the State Duma speaker stressed. "We believe that it would be right to strengthen organizations such as the UN and its institutions rather than question them and discredit their work," he said. Read more