The vice president, Beatriz Argimón, returned to the country after holding a series of meetings with parliamentarians from Ukraine and Russia as part of the World Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
This Sunday morning at the Carrasco Airport, the vice president assured at a press conference that the mission was successful: “The objective was not to cut the dialogue in a scenario where it is lacking”, he affirmed.
Argimón asserted that the mission required a lot of preparation as it involved tours of war zones and even non-permitted airspace.
“There was a plane specially designed for this mission arranged by the United Arab Emirates and routes with permanent custody and security,” described the vice president.
After meeting with representatives of the parliaments of Russia and Ukraine, the conclusion is that both countries expressed their willingness to dialogue. “For us, from the Interparliamentary Union, a path is beginning to see if a meeting can be arranged,” said Argimón.
in war zone
The president of the General Assembly described her days in the countries in conflict and assured: “there was a lot of tension, especially when we approached the bombed places.”
From the Interparliamentary Union they put as a condition to be able to be with civilians in both countries. “Going through the bombed-out spaces with the neighbors and seeing that rebuilding in the face of pain was very emotional,” Argimón pointed out.
The vice-president said she felt impressed when entering a fully protected Parliament against possible attacks. “With sandbags before the doors, also in the windows up to the top, the buildings with few people, even, we did not know until shortly before where the meeting was going to be,” she explained.
The Uruguayan representative of the Interparliamentary Union also recalled that a Ukrainian parliamentarian told her: “we are resisting for our children” and began to cry.
“It is not about us parliamentarians ending the war, but about facilitating instances of dialogue that are being necessary”, he pointed out, and stressed that the one from the Interparliamentary Union “was the only delegation allowed by both countries.” Finally, Argimón estimated that the meeting between Russian and Ukrainian parliamentarians will probably be “in a European country that provides the necessary security.”
“It was a learning trip because specialists in peace processes were in the delegation and they all emphasize that much dialogue and more diplomacy are lacking. Contributing to any rapprochement is essential,” he concluded.
