Azerbaijani chairwoman addresses summit of Parliamentary Assembly of Mediterranean PHOTO

Sahiba Gafarova, chairwoman of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (Parliament), has addressed the First Summit of Speakers of Member Parliaments and Partners of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, where she said parliamentary diplomacy complements traditional diplomatic channels by promoting dialogue, increasing transparency, and strengthening trust between states.

She made it clear that parliamentary diplomacy must be reliable and inclusive, and based on international law, democratic principles, and mutual understanding, Caliber.Az reports.

According to her, in the event of disagreements, parliamentary diplomacy should provide a platform for constructive cooperation.

The chairwoman stressed that Milli Majlis supports this approach and attaches special importance to cooperation within multilateral parliamentary platforms.

Welcoming the Assembly’s decision to grant observer status to the parliaments of both Azerbaijan and Armenia, she said the two countries are learning to live in peace after decades of conflict, as noted by President Ilham Aliyev.

She added that this step could contribute to dialogue and trust-building between the two sides in line with ongoing efforts toward peace and normalisation.

Gafarova also emphasised the role of parliaments in building trust between peoples, saying the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean could become an even more significant platform for constructive cooperation.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov