BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Azerbaijani parliament speaker Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech at an event hosted by Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute on July 30 during her official visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan), the event was attended by officials from Ethiopian state institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, scholars and experts in international relations, representatives of the academic community and students.
Gafarova first met with Mohammedrafi Abaraya, deputy director of Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute.
The visit also included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between ADA University and the Foreign Affairs Institute in the presence of the two delegations.
Speaking on the topic "Azerbaijan and Ethiopia: Advancing interparliamentary dialogue, cooperation and multilateralism," Gafarova said relations between Azerbaijan and Ethiopia have continued to develop successfully both bilaterally and within international organizations.
She said visits to Azerbaijan by Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, their meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the visit to Ethiopia by Leyla Aliyeva, vice president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, had made a significant contribution to strengthening friendship, mutual respect and trust between the two countries. She also described interparliamentary relations as an important driver of bilateral ties.
Highlighting Azerbaijan's innovative public service model, Gafarova cited the successful adoption in Ethiopia of Azerbaijan's ASAN Service model through the MESOB Service Center as an example of mutually beneficial cooperation. She said partnerships built on trust, knowledge sharing and the exchange of experience provide the foundation for joint development and sustainable progress.
Gafarova said humanitarian cooperation is one of the key pillars of Azerbaijan-Ethiopia relations. She noted that ADA University, under the leadership of Rector Hafiz Pashayev, has made a significant contribution to expanding international academic cooperation. She added that the memorandum signed between ADA University and Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute would help broaden cooperation in science and education while further strengthening friendly relations between the two countries.
The parliament speaker also outlined Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities, saying the country consistently places special emphasis on promoting dialogue, solidarity and multilateralism in international affairs. As a member of the Global South, Azerbaijan has consistently sought to advance the interests of Global South countries, particularly African nations, through its participation in international platforms.
She cited Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, its initiatives to strengthen the organization's institutional development, and its efforts to protect the interests of member states and support the development agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic as examples of that policy.
Gafarova also said Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with African countries.
Turning to broader international affairs, she said the international system is undergoing one of its deepest transformations since the establishment of the United Nations. Although the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, she said, it is also becoming more politically fragmented. She pointed to a growing number of conflicts, increasingly complex humanitarian crises and unprecedented pressure on multilateral institutions.
In such circumstances, Gafarova said, strengthening trust among states, promoting dialogue based on mutual respect and reinforcing multilateral cooperation have become more important than ever.
She also stressed the need to strengthen multilateralism, improve the effectiveness of international institutions and cooperation platforms, and address current global challenges through concrete measures.
Speaking about parliamentary diplomacy, Gafarova said interparliamentary dialogue plays a vital role in building trust between states, fostering mutual understanding and developing joint responses to common challenges. Without strong parliaments that enjoy public trust, she said, even the most comprehensive development strategies risk remaining only on paper.
She added that expanding cooperation and the exchange of experience among parliaments is essential to strengthening multilateralism and achieving shared development goals.
Gafarova said strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, promoting mutual understanding and expanding multilateral cooperation are key to building a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable future.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which Gafarova answered questions from the audience.
