Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had a meeting on 21 February with Chairman of the Arab Parliament Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asoomi who had come to our country to join the 14^th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

Stressing the importance attached to comprehensive expansion of Azerbaijan's ties with Arab countries, including development of the co-operation with the Arab League, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan was equally as interested in further development of the collaboration with the Arab Parliament.

Then, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said that the 13 February letter of Chairman of the Arab Parliament Al-Asoomi to President of the PACE Theodoros Rousopoulos about the declination to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE as well as the call to revise that decision had been met with high social acclaim in Azerbaijan as a manifestation of friendliness.

As she spoke of the relations within the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAMPN) then, the Chair of the Milli Majlis recalled fondly the guest’s participation in the 1^st NAMPN Conference in Baku in 2022 and the monitoring of the presidential election held in our country on 7 February. In addition, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova praised highly the decision of the Arab Parliament to grant the NAMPN the observer status.

As the conversation continued, the Chair of the Milli Majlis mentioned with regret the double standards existing in the present-day global politics posing serious problems for attempts to resolve a number of regional conflicts. Sahiba Gafarova also informed Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asoomi of Azerbaijan’s having freed her territories of the 30-year-long occupation by Armenia, thus having enforced the well-known resolutions of the UN SC. The peace process is afoot at the present time, Mrs Gafarova added.

Chairman of the Arab Parliament Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asoomi thanked for the generous welcome before bringing up the importance to the Member States of the agenda of the 14^th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

The Arab Parliament is interested in co-operating with the Milli Majlis and stands ready to back Azerbaijan’s viewpoints upon all the platforms, the guest continued. Additionally, the Arab Parliament praises Azerbaijan’s activities in the NAMPN, Mr Al-Asoomi remarked.

His congratulations on the successful presidential election in Azerbaijan, held freely and transparently, were followed by the guest’s emphasis on the elector activity levels manifested at the election setting an example for other countries to aspire to.

Next, there was an exchange of views upon the growth prospects of the relations between the Arab Parliament Member States and upon other matters of interest.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis