Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova, currently in the city of Istanbul of Türkiye, has met with President of the Senate of the Federal Assembly of the Kingdom of Belgium Vincent Blondel on the margins of the 152^nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The meeting included an exchange of views upon development prospects of the inter-parliamentary connections of the two countries. It was remarked that parliaments are entities contributing to dialogue and mutual understanding. In this regard, mutual contacts have an outstanding part to play in discussing points of interest. The special role of the IPU in this context was duly emphasised. It was observed that the IPU invariably serves dialogue and common endeavours. It was further remarked that contacts between parliaments help parties understand each other better and to discuss important subjects. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova stressed the current presence of sound opportunities to develop the links between Azerbaijan and Belgium in various areas including within the parliamentary one.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis informed Mr Blondel of the processes unfolding in the region as well as of the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process. She said that a one-sided, prejudiced approach to issues hampered the normalisation process.

Remarking that the meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia, too, was really aimed to enhance mutual trust, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova emphasised that it is such goals precisely that parliamentary diplomacy should ever serve.

An exchange of opinions about other matters also took part during the conversation.      

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis