Paris, 3 December 2009 – Members of the European Security and Defence Assembly/WEU Assembly today met with members of the Russian Parliament, represented by a joint delegation from the Federation Council and the State Duma, and set up a Joint Working Group which will meet at regular intervals to discuss current security and defence matters.

The decision to establish the Joint Working Group was taken in the light of earlier joint discussions and also with reference to Recommendation 842 on a new security architecture for Europe, adopted by the European Security and Defence Assembly/WEU Assembly on 1 December 2009.

The Assembly welcomed the initiative put forward by Dmitry MEDVEDEV, President of the Russian Federation, to review the existing European security architecture and took note of the draft European Security Treaty published by the Russian Presidency on 29 November 2009.

The Working Group, chaired by Robert WALTER MP (United Kingdom, President of the Assembly), Alexander TORSHIN (First Vice-President of the Council of the Federation) and Alexander KLYUKIN (State Duma), will organise joint conferences, seminars, workshops and other events involving parliamentarians from their respective parliamentary institutions, government representatives, international organisations, the military, the academic community and members of regional parliaments.

The Working Group will report regularly to its component parliamentary institutions and to other parliamentary and executive bodies where appropriate.

The aim of the Joint Working Group is to contribute to efforts to inform public opinion about the security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic area, thereby paving the way for more public support for conflict prevention and civil and military crisis management.