BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. On July 15, Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan.
This was reported by the Parliament’s Public Relations Office.
It is reported that the distinguished guest first toured the parliament’s plenary hall.
The guests then visited the Heydar Aliyev Museum at the parliament.
Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic, signed the guest book.
Speaking about the friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, noted during the meeting that relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia have been developing rapidly in recent years and have reached the level of a strategic partnership. She emphasized that the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership, signed in 2024, has created a solid foundation for the successful development of cooperation in various areas. The Speaker noted the important role of active political dialogue, as well as mutual visits at the highest and high levels, in this process, emphasizing that the first official visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to Slovakia in December 2025, as well as the current official visit of Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic, to Azerbaijan, had ushered in a new phase in the development of Azerbaijani-Slovak relations.
Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, recalled with satisfaction her previous meetings with President Peter Pellegrini. She noted that Peter Pellegrini’s official visit to Azerbaijan this time, as President of the Slovak Republic—following his visits to the country as Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia and later as Prime Minister of Slovakia— as well as the talks he held in Shusha with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, are of particular significance for the development of bilateral relations. The Speaker expressed confidence that this visit would make an important contribution to further strengthening Azerbaijani-Slovak ties and expanding cooperation.
During the conversation, the importance of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, particularly in the fields of education and culture, was noted. It was emphasized that these areas play a vital role in strengthening mutual understanding and friendly relations between people. It was also noted that the launch of direct flights between Baku and Bratislava, scheduled for October of this year, will significantly contribute to the development of ties between the two nations and create new opportunities for cooperation.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that interparliamentary cooperation is one of the key areas of Azerbaijani-Slovak relations. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova noted that mutual visits and regular contacts between the legislative bodies make a substantial contribution to the development of bilateral ties. Recalling with satisfaction her official visit to Slovakia five years ago, the Speaker highly commended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the parliaments during the official visit of Richard Raši, Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia, to Azerbaijan in May of this year. According to her, this document is intended to take interparliamentary relations to a qualitatively new level.
Throughout the meeting, the importance of strengthening ties between interparliamentary friendship groups was also emphasized. In addition, the need to expand cooperation between relevant parliamentary committees and to further develop collaboration within international parliamentary organizations was noted.
Speaking about the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, also praised Slovakia’s contribution to the reconstruction of Karabakh. She noted that the “smart village” project being implemented by a Slovak company in the village of Bash Garvend in the Aghdam district is a clear example of successful practical cooperation between the two countries. It was emphasized that the general education school, the construction of which was launched the day before in the city of Aghdam with the participation of the presidents of both countries, will become yet another symbol of friendship between Azerbaijan and Slovakia.
President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini expressed his satisfaction with his official visit to Azerbaijan and his visit to the Azerbaijani Parliament. The distinguished guest noted that following his visit to Azerbaijan in 2018 as Prime Minister of Slovakia, the government he led decided to open the country’s embassy in Azerbaijan. According to him, this step demonstrated the importance Slovakia attaches to developing relations with Azerbaijan. President Peter Pellegrini emphasized that friendly relations and political dialogue between the two countries are currently at a high level, and noted Slovakia’s interest in further expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in various fields. It was also noted that the visits to Azerbaijan by three high-ranking Slovak officials over the past two years serve as a prime example of this.
President Peter Pellegrini noted that beginning his official visit, undertaken at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in the city of Shusha holds special symbolic significance. He emphasized that it is a particular honor for him to be the first head of state from a European Union member country to pay an official visit to Shusha. The president expressed confidence that the meetings held in Shusha, the discussions that took place, and the agreements reached will make an important contribution to the further development of relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia.
The distinguished guest shared his positive impressions of the large-scale restoration and reconstruction work being carried out in Karabakh and highly commended the contribution of Slovak companies to this process, as well as the projects they are implementing, calling them a vivid example of successful cooperation between the two countries. President Peter Pellegrini expressed particular pride in the decision to name the general education school currently under construction in Aghdam after an outstanding Slovak figure, emphasizing that this would be yet another manifestation of friendship and mutual respect between Slovakia and Azerbaijan.
During the conversation, the distinguished guest recalled with satisfaction his meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament held on various occasions, emphasized the importance of interparliamentary cooperation, and noted the need to further develop ties between the relevant parliamentary committees. In conclusion, he once again invited the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament to pay an official visit to Slovakia.
Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.
