XII Forum of Russian and Belarussian Regions: Speakers of Upper Chambers of Parliaments to Meet Youth from Both Countries
On March 27, the Federation Council hosted a joint meeting of the Russian and Belarusian organizing committees for the XII Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions.
Yury Vorobyov, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council and Co-Chair of the Forum’s Organizing Committee, announced that ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russian and Belarusian parliamentarians have decided to dedicate the Forum in Nizhny Novgorod to youth – heirs of great traditions and the future of the Union State.
“We are thoroughly preparing for this event. Given the Forum’s youth focus, we are developing new formats for this important event of interparliamentary and interstate cooperation”, said Yury Vorobyov.
He also noted that, for the first time in the history of these forums, a meeting between the speakers of the upper chambers of parliaments and youth from both countries is scheduled to take place.
Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, delivered a report on preparations for the meeting between Valentina Matviyenko, Chair of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Natalya Kochanova, Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, and young people from both countries.
“This meeting, like the Forum in general, will strengthen friendly ties between young people of Russia and Belarus. Participants will present projects and initiatives implemented as part of Russia-Belarus youth cooperation efforts, as well as discuss joint law-making initiatives, historical memory preservation, cross-border cooperation, youth entrepreneurship, and volunteerism”, said Dmitry Ivanov.
The meeting will bring together 100 young leaders from youth organizations, parliamentarians, activists of volunteer movements, and youth communities of Russia and Belarus.
As part of efforts to enhance youth cooperation within the Union State, a series of events and projects will be implemented to strengthen ties between young Russians and Belarusians. These include the All-Russian Children’s Festival of Folk Culture “Heirs of Traditions” and the career guidance programme “For Safety!” at the “Korabely Prionezhya” (Onega Area Shipbuilders) cadet school in the Vologda Region, where young representatives of both countries will showcase their skills. In addition, a new Russian-Belarussian project “The Unconquered” – an expedition from Brest to Sevastopol – is scheduled to launch.
The XII Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions will take place in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025, featuring seven thematic sections, Russian and Belarusian youth parliaments, and meetings of business representatives organized by the chambers of commerce and industry.
The Forum is organized by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, and the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Co-organizers include the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the World Youth Festival Directorate, and the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.