The US Did Not Come to Russky Island

Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum opened without U.S. delegation

On the first day of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum session, parliamentarians from 27 countries discussed issues of regional security and the fight against cybercrime and terrorism. On the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, the absence of the U.S. delegation from the forum was actively discussed in the context of the Russian parliamentary prohibition against Americans adopting Russian children. The Chairman of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum session, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, affirmed that the absence of the U.S. delegation was not due to a demarche, but rather to an “internal technical issue.”* After the events, she visited an orphanage.

The founding session of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum took place in Tokyo in 1993 with the participation of Canada, China, Mexico, the U.S., South Korea, Japan and other countries. The goals of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum were to discuss broadening cooperation among the countries in the interests of sustaining peace and stability, promoting trade and investment and countering transnational crime and terrorism. Russia once chaired the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in 2007, when the session was held in Moscow.

The 2013 session of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum opened with a message from Vladimir Putin. According to the president, “parliamentary diplomacy aimed at increasing the level of mutual trust among the countries of the Asia-Pacific region … is important to jointly opposing existing challenges and threats, and with our combined efforts, to establish a nonaligned architecture on the basis of the principles of equal and indivisible security for all.” Valentina Matviyenko proposed establishing a working group within the framework of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, in the areas of the fight against terrorism, narcotrafficking, organized crime and cybercrime. “Changing the situation is possible and necessary, and the parliaments of our countries must cooperate in this process,” she emphasized. The representative of the Japanese delegation, Wataru Ito, challenged the members of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum to take “concrete actions to de-nuclearize the Korean peninsula.” “North Korea carried out the launch of rockets, which they say were for the launch of satellites. This action threatens the security of the entire Asia-Pacific region,” he remarked.

On the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, meanwhile, there was interest in the causes of the absence of the U.S. delegation from the forum, especially because of the recent Russian prohibition against American adoption of Russian children. “I completely understand your interest in the participation of the U.S. delegation,” said Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov. “But also absent from the forum are the delegations from Colombia, Peru, the Marshall Islands and Fiji.” According to him, “each country has different reasons.” Some have not formed a parliament, and attendance would have been “legally unsupported.” Another “describes financial difficulties” in sending a delegation to Vladivostok, but yet another, such as the U.S. delegation, “does not often bestow their presence” upon the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. “To my recollection, I have seen the U.S. delegation maybe twice,” said Mr. Umakhanov, emphasizing that there is not any “political intrigue.” Valentina Matviyenko also affirmed that there is no “demarche” involved. “The U.S. Embassy confirmed up to the last moment that their representatives would be here. They agreed on who would attend — from the House or from the Senate, Democrats or Republicans. It is not such a simple situation there. And something didn’t work out,” said the head of the Federation Council. According to her, the U.S. participates “very rarely” in the APPF, and “in an incomplete format.” “This is not any kind of demarche, but caused, most likely, by an internal technical issue,” remarked Mrs. Matviyenko.

Incidentally, after the events of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, the speaker of the Federation Council headed for Vladivostok, to Orphanage No. 4. She found the orphanage to be “very warm and cozy,” with “remarkable” conditions for the orphans. “Honestly, I tell you, not all children have such opportunities: sports, computers, and various clubs,” said Mrs. Matviyenko to the children in the orphanage. She noted that “the government, the local authorities, the governor, teachers, and educators are all concerned” for the children. The children told their guest that they have “everything good,” and “everything to eat.” They performed a gypsy dance and the song “Smile, Captain.” When the children had a chance to ask questions of the speaker, they became interested in whether she had pets and what languages she could speak. Valentina Matviyenko advised the children to remember that “everything depends” on themselves: “In life, one must set the bar high. If you are average, then you will remain average.”

*Editor’s Note: The quotes in this article, accurately translated, could not be sourced.