BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 4. On May 4, Sabiha Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, held a meeting with Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who is currently visiting the country, Parliament’s Public Relations and Media Department told Trend.
Expressing her satisfaction with the guest’s latest visit to Azerbaijan, Speaker Sabiha Gafarova highlighted the successful cooperation between the IPU and the Azerbaijani Parliament, noting that since 2021, the country's deputies have been participating more actively in the IPU’s work and holding leadership positions within the organization.
The Speaker also highlighted the Parliament’s cooperation with the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement and expressed her gratitude to Secretary-General Martin Chungong for supporting this initiative.
Sabiba Gafarova thanked the IPU Secretary General both for his efforts to develop bilateral cooperation and for facilitating meetings between the speakers of the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Speaker emphasized that these meetings contribute to the process of building trust between the peoples and expressed confidence that, following the adoption of relevant amendments to the Constitution of Armenia, a peace treaty between the two countries would soon be signed, which would create broader opportunities for cooperation between the parliaments.
Gafarova also noted that the IPU is an important platform where people can listen to one another and engage in dialogue, while emphasizing the significance of President Ilham Aliyev’s support and attention to the development of ties with the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Expressing his gratitude for the kind words, Secretary General Martin Chungong noted that during his tenure, relations between the IPU and Azerbaijan have been transformed.
He emphasized that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has always been committed to developing cooperation with the IPU. According to him, Azerbaijan is currently drawing attention for its activities within this organization. The Secretary-General highlighted Azerbaijan’s active participation in NAM events, the representation of Azerbaijani Parliament deputies in leadership positions, and the successful cooperation between the parties. He emphasized that the leadership of the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament over the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement has played an important role both in the development of the Network itself and in strengthening its ties with the IPU.
In addition, it was noted that the establishment of dialogue between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the peace process between the two countries contributes to achieving the IPU’s primary goal, strengthening peace. The guest expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for his significant support of cooperation with the IPU and noted that his visit is a testament to Azerbaijan’s trust and confidence in this organization.
During the conversation, the Secretary-General expressed high praise for the achievements made in Azerbaijan within the framework of the COP29 Parliamentary Conference, emphasizing that these successes had demonstrated to the entire world the mobilizing power of parliaments.
Following the meeting, Martin Chungong was awarded the Honorary Medal of the Azerbaijani Parliament for his contributions to the development of constructive dialogue and effective cooperation between parliaments, as well as for his role in strengthening and expanding bilateral and multilateral ties between the Azerbaijani Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
