BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. The Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, participated in the 17th AIPA (Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Assembly) Caucus on "The Role of Parliament in Strengthening ASEAN Centrality in Navigating Complex Global Challenges" hosted by the House of Representatives of Indonesia on July 22.
This was reported by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan).
Participating in the event online, Gafarova noted that in the modern world, states are closely interconnected and no state is able to address global challenges alone. According to her, progress in areas such as ensuring peace and security, sustainable development, climate action, food and energy security is possible only as a result of joint efforts. In this regard, the speaker emphasized that effective multilateral cooperation based on international law, equal dialogue, and mutually beneficial cooperation is more important today than ever.
In her speech, Gafarova noted that regional organizations are one of the important pillars of international cooperation, and said that these organizations serve to develop dialogue between states, strengthen trust, and promote practical cooperation. She emphasized that in this sense, ASEAN continues to make a significant contribution to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, and the organization's central role is of great importance in terms of strengthening regional cooperation, as well as effectively responding to common challenges. The speaker noted that the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the organization complements these efforts by bringing together the parliaments of ASEAN member states, thus supporting ASEAN's strategic priorities and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of regional cooperation.
Pointing out Azerbaijan's attaching great importance to cooperation with the organization as an observer parliament in the AIPA, the Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan highlighted the determination of our country to further expand dialogue with ASEAN member states. According to her, closer cooperation with the AIPA will contribute to the development of parliamentary diplomacy, the exchange of experience, and advanced approaches.
Gafarova, speaking about parliamentary diplomacy as an important tool in terms of strengthening trust, promoting dialogue, and supporting the peaceful resolution of common challenges, said that parliaments, through legislative activity, ratification of international treaties, and parliamentary oversight, strengthen the rules-based world order, contribute to promoting respect for international law, and the formation of effective multilateral responses to global challenges.
The speaker emphasized that Azerbaijan is committed to effective multilateral cooperation based on international law, the principles of sovereign equality of states, and mutual respect. Pointing to the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, established at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, as the best example of this approach, the Speaker of the Parliament said that the network plays the role of an important platform for inter-parliamentary dialogue, exchange of experience, and cooperation in addressing global challenges.
Noting more effective interparliamentary cooperation on the basis of global and regional efforts, Gafarova also touched upon the close cooperation of the AIPA with regional and international parliamentary organizations. She emphasized that this cooperation, in addition to strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, contributes to the promotion of regional views at the global level.
Regarding the cooperation between the AIPA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan said that the organization, having a permanent observer status in the IPU, promotes the activities of the global parliamentary community and supports the development of dialogue between the ASEAN region and parliaments of various countries of the world. According to her, this close cooperation demonstrates the growing role of regional parliamentary organizations within the multilateral system and also demonstrates the importance of joint activities.
