The delegation led by Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Richard Raši who is in our country on an official visit have come to the Milli Majlis on 13 May. Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova welcomed the guests.

First, the Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia acquainted himself with the plenary chamber of the Milli Majlis. On arriving at the Memorial Room bearing the name of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, the guests examined its exhibits telling of the various stages in the life and political activity of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev.

Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia Richard Raši made a heartfelt entry in the Memorial Book installed there.

The parties then had a meeting in the enlarged format.

Recalling her own official visit to Slovakia, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis witnessed contentment with the meetings held during that visit. She said that it was the first time that the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic was visiting in Azerbaijan in this capacity, adding that this visit signified the continuing progress in our inter-parliamentary relations.

Also, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova recalled fondly the guest’s trip to our de-occupied territories whilst visiting in Azerbaijan as an MP in 2022, proceeding to express her confidence that the visit to the same territories due this time will leave the guests under powerful impression from the recreation work accomplished there.

As she underlined the importance of high-level reciprocal visits for the advancement of the bilateral relations, the Speaker emphasised the pertaining significance also of the mutual visits of the Heads of State. According to the Speaker, our relations have over the past years risen to the level of strategic partnership; she said in this relation that the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership signed in May 2024 defined areas of future co-operation.

Touching on the inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries, the Speaker mentioned the special role that reciprocal visits and the parliamentary friendship groups played in it. The Parliaments’ interaction, bilateral and within international organisations alike, bears favourably on the growth of the two countries’ links as well as on co-operation for sustainable development.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis informed the guest of the history, current structure and activities of the Parliament of Azerbaijan.

Signifying satisfaction with being in the Milli Majlis, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Richard Raši shared the impressions from the visit to our country and the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev held today. He stressed the immense importance of President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Slovakia in December 2025 as the first official visit of President of Azerbaijan to Slovakia.

As the conversation continued, Richard Raši hi-lit the importance of the inter-parliamentary connections and addressed the pertinent momentousness of regular trips and exchange of experience between Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Committees and Working Groups for inter-parliamentary relations; he also provided information about the structure of the Parliament of Slovakia.

Also, the Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia broached the gravitas of the 13^th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) due in Baku next week and talked about the import of this event.

The guest then stated his views, as the meeting went on, as to the development prospects for the two countries’ relations in economy, education, culture, defence, energy security and other fields.

The meeting saw an exchange of opinions concerning the acts of the European Parliament contradicting parliamentary diplomacy and constructive dialogue.

Besides, there was an exchange of views upon other matters of shared interest.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the National Council of the Slovak Republic was signed after the meeting. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova and Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia Richard Raši.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis