BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUOIC) reflects its commitment to strengthening solidarity and close ties within the Islamic world, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said in her address to the PUIC coordination meeting.
This was reported by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament).
She noted that the 20th session of the PUIC Conference was successfully held in Baku this June, and the Azerbaijani parliament assumed the chairmanship of the organization.
Gafarova remarked that the PUIC brings together parliaments with diverse national experiences and perspectives, and that member parliaments are committed to dialogue, solidarity, and inter-parliamentary cooperation.
The speaker emphasized that, in assuming the PUOIC chairmanship, Azerbaijan is guided by the principles of peace, justice, solidarity, tolerance, and human dignity, as well as sustainable and inclusive development. According to her, experience shows that countries from different regions and with diverse positions can work together by focusing on consultation, mutual respect, and shared interests.
Gafarova said that regional perspectives should play a more prominent role in broader international parliamentary dialogue.
She also noted that during her visit to New York last month, she met with the permanent representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to the UN, where they discussed how to better reflect the priorities and perspectives of these countries in international decision-making processes.
The speaker highlighted the vast human, cultural, and economic potential of the Islamic world. She noted, however, that several societies within the Islamic world face challenges such as conflict, forced displacement, poverty, climate-related pressures, terrorism, extremism, and Islamophobia.
According to her, these challenges call for stronger practical cooperation. She emphasized that the perspectives of parliaments should not merely be represented in international institutions but should also make a substantive contribution to shaping priorities and decisions.
The parliamentary speakers and representatives of the PUIC member countries speaking at the event highly appreciated the organization's activities under the chairmanship of the Azerbaijani parliament.
