What has Already Been Done and Where to Go Next: Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly celebrates Its 7th Anniversary

29/05/2024 18:17

May 27, 2024 is the 7th anniversary since the establishment of the International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations “Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly”. A Solemn Meeting of the General Council of the Assembly was held in honor of the organization’s foundation day. Members of the Supreme Advisory Council, the Council of Elders, the General Council of the Eurasian and African Peoples’ Assembly, representatives of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, members and partners of the Assembly gathered around a common table at the organization’s headquarters in Moscow, as well as online.

Representatives of a number of countries joined the conversation: Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, UAE, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Finland and regions of the Russian Federation.

General Secretary of the Assembly Andrei Belyaninov, addressing the participants, proposed holding a ceremonial meeting not formally, but to exchange views on issues of further development of the Assembly, collect recommendations and wishes of all those present.

“I am very grateful to those who were at the origin of our Assembly,” noted the leader of the organization Andrei Belyaninov, “Grigory Rapota, who was the State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in the year of the Assembly's birth 7 years ago, gave us his farewell. He said that we should not stop there and expand the geography of our work as actively as possible. But that's how it is. All these years, the Assembly has been active not only in the countries of the Eurasian continent. Recently, partners from Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America have shown great interest. And on April 23, 2024, by the decision of the General Assembly, the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly was renamed the Eurasian and African Peoples’ Assembly.”

The initiator, ideological inspirer and co-founder of the organization, Svetlana Smirnova, now the Chairperson of the General Council of the Eurasian and African Peoples’ Assembly, spoke about the history of the creation of the International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations:

“The Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly was formed on May 27, 2017 in Moscow at the First Congress of the organization. More than 2,500 representatives from 67 countries of the continent came to the congress in Moscow. The Assembly was established in support of the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to form a multi-level integration model in Eurasia and is a public integration model of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, - said Svetlana Konstantinovna, - It is difficult to name everyone who stood at the origins, supported us: the Presidential Administration, the Federation Council , Rossotrudnichestvo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Association for International Cooperation, the Association of Russian Diplomats, our foreign partners - this is a huge number of people who supported our Assembly.”

The Chairperson of the General Council also noted that, “Realizing the role of civil society and public diplomacy in the development and strengthening of integration on the Eurasian continent, creating a solid foundation for the future of the peoples of the most populous region of the planet, the participants of the Congress named the establishment of the International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations “Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly” as one of promising forms of implementation of the social integration model.”

Moreover, according to the participants of the ceremonial meeting, over the past 7-year period, the promise of the integration model has not lost its strength - on the contrary, despite serious changes in the world, the organization remains one of the most important structures which many countries rely on.

“The world today is changing a lot. 7 years ago nobody suspected that there would be sanctions, so many financial restrictions, a lack of external funding for some kind of integration association? By and large, there is a struggle between light and darkness, evil and good. We, as those who defend traditional values, family values, are, of course, on the side of light and good,” Andrei Belyaninov emphasized.

The most important role of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly in the formation of relations between the public and the state was outlined by Vladimir Yakunin, the Head of the department of public policy of the Faculty of Political Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Vladimir Ivanovich played a huge role in the birth and formation of a new public organization.

“If you look today at the general field of international relations and what is called international public relations, in my deep conviction, no one here can be compared with the significance and importance of the activities that are carried out within the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, and now also African. Since I am involved in political science and research in this field today, I can unequivocally say that one of the critical features of the relationship between society and the state - this dichotomy - is: on the one hand, the impossibility of one to exist without the other, and on the other hand, the constant contradiction and constant interaction in it: between public organizations and the state represented by its institutions. It is inevitable.

And it seems to me that today the presence of such a public organization as the Assembly is an extremely important tool for interaction not between states, but between societies and people. Any initiative is punishable. And the initiative that was born by our respected initiators is not easy for them in terms of implementation. And I think it is necessary to emphasize the importance of the work that was carried out by the Assembly leadership and all its participants, and it is very important that we managed to maintain independence in relations with representatives of other peoples, nations and nationalities. And this, of course, must be preserved.

Leader of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly Andrei Belyaninov cited specific figures that show the scale of the organization's work. Expanding interaction with partners from different countries, the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly has signed more than 230 agreements with business organizations, chambers of commerce and industry, higher education institutions, foundations, research centers, various public organizations and associations from 42 countries.

“It seems to me that the main feature and style of our Assembly work is that we are not some kind of “trend setter” and do not show our superiority - all our relationships are built on an equal basis. There are no seniors or juniors here - everyone is engaged in their own direction. This allows us to consolidate our efforts and move forward,” said Andrey Belyaninov.

Andrey Nazarov – Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Head of the Representative Office of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly in Bashkortostan:

“It is difficult to overestimate everything that has already been done by the Assembly. And we practice working together in the interests of all countries. I believe that it is time for the state to join international cooperation. This is precisely a new stage for the Assembly. And the Republic of Bashkortostan is an example of such cooperation, when state capabilities are added to public ones: for example, ready-made infrastructure is used, and this gives additional strength. But the Assembly has a power that is much subtler and softer than our government approaches. And if state interests are restrained outside the country, then the Assembly sees no obstacles. I am confident that our fruitful cooperation will continue.”

Outlining further prospects for the development of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly, members of the ceremonial meeting of the General Council spoke not only about the geographical expansion of international cooperation, but also about financial opportunities.

Ildar Gilmutdinov, Member of the General Council of the Eurasian and African Peoples’ Assembly, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Nationalities, Member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation on Interethnic Relations:

“The Committee on Nationalities Affairs of the State Duma also signed an agreement with the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly and within this agreement there is still a lot of work to be done. I would like to see more interaction. We will soon be considering the state program “On National Policy”, which is under the Federal Agency for National Affairs. As part of its improvement, it is possible to include a number of significant events of the Assembly there. I think this would be very correct. We need more proposals. They can be in terms of attracting young people, more actively connecting the regional aspect, and it is also necessary to contact international business at various economic forums.”

The Assembly of Eurasian and African Peoples is actively developing both the humanitarian and economic components with various integration associations. A number of Assembly events are held with the active support of UNESCO, SCO, EAEU, CIS, Union State and other international organizations. A strategic partnership program was signed with the Eurasian Economic Commission. Cooperation agreements have been concluded with the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, the SCO Center for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan, and with the Chinese Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for Good Neighborhood, Friendship and Cooperation. As the Deputy Secretary General of the Eurasian and African Peoples’ Assembly noted,

Director of the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan Kabuljon Sabirov, who got in touch from Uzbekistan, noted that 7 years is a transition period from preschool to school, so the Assembly still has everything ahead:

“Public diplomacy in the modern world is based on trust, respect, and consideration of the interests of each of us. It is also based on sincerity, openness and honesty. This is the diplomacy of happiness, one might say! And I want to propose: public diplomacy within the Assembly should become a model for the development of international relations, a kind of model for other international non-governmental organizations, and for this we have all the capabilities, resources and, most importantly, trusting and friendly relations.”

In order to become a single unifying platform for public diplomacy, as well as in accordance with the peacekeeping and unifying mission of the International Union of Non-Profit Organizations and based on the results of activities recognized by international organizations such as the UN and UNESCO, the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly takes the initiative to establish and conduct the first World Public Summit.

Chairperson of the General Council of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Svetlana Smirnova outlined its main prospects:

“We propose the creation of a new platform for communication, search and decision-making in an atmosphere of unity, trust and openness: to “speak the same language”, to “be on the same wavelength”, expressing readiness for dialogue - between people who together strive for common goals. The current international situation urgently requires a joint search for means of consolidating social forces. We need an active search for the most harmonious forms and ways of integration development. And the solution of such important tasks falls on the shoulders of not only government agencies, but also the international community. Public diplomacy today is a strategic resource for the development and cooperation of all states.”