International events: Moscow hosts the International Parliamentary Forum in the framework of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Federal Assembly and the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov took part in the work of the International Parliamentary Forum. The event was organized by the State Duma, the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the MGIMO University. The head of the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media in his speech said that information technology is the main channel of communications between civil society and the government.

The first International Parliamentary Forum “Modern parliamentary and future of democracy” is held on December 11, 2012 in the Imperial Hall of the Lomonosov Moscow State University as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Federal Assembly and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Speaking at the forum, the head of the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov outlined the important role of modern communications in building the open democratic society. “The modern democracy is based on two main principles: people should know and people should affect. Both, perhaps today with the help of information technology, - said Nikolai Nikiforov. We can say that democracy today is the effective and high-quality public administration, which is under control of the society, civil society just with the help of information technology”. He stressed that information technology allow providing access to an unprecedented amount of information about almost all of what government and its representatives do. The minister also noted the importance of the project “Russian Public Initiative” and the importance of active positions of citizens in the framework of the project.

During the work of the forum the ways of strengthening of institutions of representative democracy, improvement of law-making and law enforcement practices, interaction civil society and the government are discussed.