BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, addressed the opening session of the General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) held in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur on September 18, the parliamentary press service told Trend.
The event was attended by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, heads and representatives of member and observer parliaments, who emphasized the importance of AIPA in strengthening cooperation, advancing international parliamentary diplomacy, and addressing global challenges.
In her remarks at the plenary session, Gafarova noted that with the growing importance of parliamentary diplomacy, AIPA has become a successful platform that brings together parliaments and creates new opportunities for deeper collaboration. She underlined that AIPA contributes not only to strengthening ties among its member states but also to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding across different regions.
Gafarova recalled that since 2022, the Azerbaijani Parliament has participated in AIPA as an observer, reflecting Azerbaijan’s commitment to expanding multifaceted relations with Southeast Asian countries. She stressed that Azerbaijan’s parliament actively develops bilateral and multilateral cooperation with AIPA and its member states.
The speaker also highlighted the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in March 2023 between AIPA and the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), established on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev and currently chaired by the Azerbaijani Parliament. She described the agreement as a demonstration of Azerbaijan’s determination to strengthen institutional collaboration and advance shared goals.
Focusing on the assembly’s main theme of inclusive growth and sustainability, Gafarova underlined that parliaments, through their legislative, budgetary, and oversight functions, are among the key stakeholders in this process. She noted that inclusive development and sustainability are central to Azerbaijan’s strategic vision, which is closely aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Touching on Azerbaijan’s large-scale reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories of Karabakh and East Zangazur, Gafarova stated that reviving these regions is an integral part of the government’s inclusive and sustainable development approach. She reminded participants that these areas were under occupation for three decades before being liberated in 2020 and pointed out that rebuilding has already enabled the resettlement of more than fifty thousand people, reintegrating them into the country’s social and economic life.
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