Maria Chepurina, Igor Ivanov, Ilkka Kanerva, Ivan Timofeev and Spencer Oliver.COPENHAGEN, 20 November 2013 – OSCE PA Vice-President Ilkka Kanerva and Secretary General Spencer Oliver paid a working visit to Moscow last week, accompanied by Senior Counselor Semyon Dzakhaev and Programme Officer Maria Chepurina.

Following an invitation from the Russian State Duma, the PA delegation attended the Second International Parliamentary Forum on 14 November in Moscow, under the theme of "Constitution. Democracy. Parliamentarism." Mr. Kanerva and Mr. Oliver spoke at panel discussions during the Forum, sharing views and experiences on parliamentary diplomacy, democratic values and the role of public opinion.

The PA delegation met with Igor Ivanov, the President of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss increasing trust in the OSCE area as well as promoting co-operation with RIAC and the OSCE PA in preparations for the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

On the margins of the Forum, Mr. Kanerva and Mr. Oliver met with the Chairman of the State Duma, Sergey Naryshkin, discussing interaction between the Federal Assembly and the OSCE PA. Mr. Oliver also met with Ivan Soltanovsky, Director of the Department for All-European Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.