Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker attends CIS IPA Council meeting in St. Petersburg PHOTO

Sahiba Gafarova, the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament of the 6th convocation, participated in the meeting of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS) during her official visit to St. Petersburg on July 12.

Gafarova discussed the participation of IPA CIS observers in Azerbaijan's recent extraordinary presidential elections, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

She emphasized that Azerbaijan's relevant state bodies had ensured optimal conditions for the electoral process, achieving full transparency to allow voters to freely express their will. This assurance was corroborated by international observers.

Highlighting the extensive international observer presence, including 790 observers from 89 countries and 72 international organizations, Gafarova underscored that the elections reflected the Azerbaijani people's commitment to the country's development following the restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. She noted President Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev's re-election with over 92 per cent of the vote.

In her address, the Speaker highlighted electoral observation as a crucial area of collaboration within the CIS IPA.

"It plays a vital role in advancing democracy and the rule of law across member states through the exchange of expertise in organizing and conducting electoral processes. Therefore, the efforts and impact of the International Institute for Monitoring the Development of Democracy, Parliamentarism, and Electoral Rights of Citizens of the CIS IPA (IGIM), including its Baku branch, in election observation merit special recognition," Gafarova emphasized.

She underscored the importance of ongoing cooperation in monitoring electoral processes and announced that, in accordance with the President of Azerbaijan's directive, extraordinary parliamentary elections will be held in the country on September 1, 2024.