BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 16. Azerbaijan’s Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, who is visiting Azerbaijan, on July 16.
The meeting was reported by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan’s Parliament).
During the talks, Gafarova highlighted the friendly relations and cooperation based on mutual respect between Azerbaijan and Palestine. She said the two countries are united by shared religious, moral and family values, as well as longstanding friendly ties between their peoples.
Emphasizing the importance of high-level visits and meetings in deepening bilateral relations, the speaker expressed confidence that the Palestinian prime minister’s visit would contribute to further developing ties and expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Gafarova noted that Azerbaijan maintains a principled position on the Palestinian issue and consistently upholds this position within international organizations.
The sides also highlighted the opening of Azerbaijan’s Representative Office in Ramallah in 2023 as an important step in advancing bilateral relations. Gafarova recalled that Azerbaijan’s Parliament unanimously adopted a law establishing the office in November 2022.
Discussing the importance of interparliamentary cooperation, Gafarova said Azerbaijan’s Parliament maintains effective cooperation with the Palestinian National Council both bilaterally and within frameworks such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC), the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network.
She noted that Azerbaijan continues to keep the Palestinian issue among its priorities within international organizations and other multilateral platforms, approaching the matter with particular sensitivity.
The meeting also addressed opportunities for cooperation in humanitarian areas, particularly education and culture. Satisfaction was expressed with the education of Palestinian students in Azerbaijan, while the opportunities provided to them through the “Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant Program” were highly appreciated.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa thanked the Azerbaijani government, people and parliament for their consistent political, diplomatic and humanitarian support for the Palestinian cause.
Highlighting the importance of his meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Mustafa said the continued support of Azerbaijan’s leadership would never be forgotten by the Palestinian people. He also praised Azerbaijan’s contribution to international peace initiatives and said Palestine remains committed to achieving a just and lasting peace based on the “two-state” principle.
Mustafa said there is significant potential to expand cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, education and humanitarian fields. In this context, he highlighted the construction of a school in Palestine with Azerbaijan’s support and other joint projects.
The Palestinian prime minister also emphasized the importance of further developing interparliamentary cooperation and expanding collaboration across various areas.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mustafa expressed admiration for Azerbaijan’s rapid development and reconstruction efforts, wishing peace, prosperity and success to the Azerbaijani people.
