Speaker of Russia’s upper chamber of parliament expected to pay an official visit to Tajikistan this month

While in Dushanbe, Matviyenko will hold meetings with President Emomali Rahmon and speakers of both chambers of Tajikistan’s parliament Rustam Emomali and Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda.  

The parties will discuss the state and prospects of further expansion of the bilateral cooperation between the Russian Federation and Tajikistan and expansion of inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, the Russian ambassador was cited as saying.  

“Ms. Matviyenko is also scheduled to participate in the Russian-Tajik inter-parliamentary forum on trade and economic cooperation between the regions of the two countries and visit in Dushanbe the site for construction of one of five-Russian-language schools being built in Tajikistan,” Ambassador Lyakin-Frolov was quoted as saying.

He further noted that the Russian delegation members will include a group of Russian senators, senor representatives of the economic cluster ministries and entrepreneurs, TASS said.  

Ms. Valentina Matviyenko is a Russian politician having been served as the Senator from Saint Petersburg and Chairwoman of the Federation Council since 2011.  Previously she served as Governor of Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2011. 

The Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, also called Speaker, is the presiding officer of Russia’s upper house of parliament.  It is the third highest position, after the President and the Prime Minister, in the government of Russia.  In the case of incapacity of the President and Prime Minister, the chairman of the Federation Council becomes Acting President of the Russian Federation.

The Federation Council is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (the parliament of the Russian Federation).  Each of the 85 federal subjects of Russia – consisting of 22 republics, 46 oblasts, nine krais, three federal cities, four autonomous okrugs, and one autonomous oblast – sends two senators to the Council, for a total membership of 170 Senators.  In addition, the Constitution also provides for senators from the Russian Federation, which can be no more than thirty (up to seven of them for life), as well as (optionally) former presidents as life senators (as of 2020 there are no such life senators).