Russian speaker goes to Italy to discuss role of senates.

ROME, April 15 (Itar-Tass) - The speaker of the Russian Federation
Council upper house of parliament, Sergei Mironov, goes on Thursday to
Italy to discuss with European colleagues bilateral partnership and the
role of senates in the present-day world, sources from the upper house
told Tass.
They said the Russian delegation is expected to meet on Thursday with
the Italian leadership. On Friday, Mironov will take part in a regular
session of the Association of European Senates to discuss parliamentarian
diplomacy in the 21st century.
Mironov will address the forum and in the intervals he will meet with
some of his European colleagues.
The Association of European Senates was set up in Paris on November 8,
2000 on the initiative of French Senate President Christian Poncelet. It
brings together representatives of upper houses of parliament from
European Union member countries and candidates to join the European Union.
The charter of the organisation says its aim is to develop cooperation
between parliamentarians and to offer assistance in the establishment of
parliamentary democracy.
The Russian Federation Council joined the Association in June 2002.
Cooperation between the senates of Russia and Italy has been developing
rather successfully over the past few years. In 1996 a protocol on
cooperation between the two senates was signed, and one year later the
secretariats of the two senates signed a memorandum on cooperation.
A group for cooperation with the Italian Senate was set up at the
Russian Federation Council in 2007. The latest meeting of Mironov and his
Italian counterpart was held in October 2009.