Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis Adil Aliyev remarked whilst opening on the 10^th of February the thirteenth session of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly, held as a videoconference, that the Organisation was gaining in reputation and in appreciation of its work, as could be seen from the broader form and attendance of today’s event. The Parliament of Azerbaijan is full of resolve to continue supporting the work done by the GUAM PA as much as is needed, Mr Aliyev pointed out then.

The role and significance of the regional integration processes within the system of international relations are both on the increase; at no previous historical stage has there been such a compelling need in a more profound international co-operation. The coronavirus pandemic that shook the world showed once more that global problems cannot be solved without all the states of the world supporting each other, finding common grounds and arranging co-operation at close quarters, Mr Aliyev went on.

Parliamentary diplomacy has become very relevant of late; besides, the legislative foundation of the international relations has been enriched with additions of import. Today, the co-operation within the GUAM PA can potentially become the key factor behind accelerated regional integration as well as a lavish contribution to international security arrangements, Mr Aliyev continued.

He also let the meeting participants know that 2020 had gone down in the history of Azerbaijan as the Victory Year despite all the hardships that had occurred during it. The settlement of the Highland Garabagh Conflict and the new projects taking shape will be good not only for Azerbaijan alone but also for all the regional states.

Then, the GUAM PA Chairman and Head of the Azerbaijan Parliamentary Delegation Elnur Allahverdiyev spoke to tell of the agenda containing the items of immense interest to all the member-states. Last year, which is now mostly remembered by the COVID-19 pandemic, was also marked with economic instability. The private sector in general but also individual business operations around the world sustained losses due to the pandemic; moreover, the pandemic culminated in bankruptcy for a number of industries, according to Mr Allahverdiyev. Similarly to the whole world and to the region’s countries, Azerbaijan, too, had been forced to face the problems caused by the coronavirus and had had to experience their consequences.

Referring to the Patriotic War of 2020, Mr Allahverdiyev thanked the delegations of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova for their respective countries’ support to Azerbaijan and their prompt responses to the then current situation. Meanwhile, a new development stage sets in for Azerbaijan starting this year; there is ahead of it the crucial task of restoring the provinces brought to complete collapse and devastation during the years of occupation. Considerable funds have been allocated to that end from the 2021 State Budget; the private sector’s engagement in the process is anticipated as well and so are heavy investments to go into restoring Garabagh in the years to come. Soon the day will come, Mr Allahverdiyev interjected, when we shall be welcoming our GUAM PA allies in Garabagh and introducing them to the beauty and heritage of those historically Azerbaijani parts.

Azerbaijan is interested in co-operating with the Baltic Assembly, which, incidentally, is represented at the current session; Azerbaijan also wishes to broaden the ties with it. Besides, as Mr Allahverdiyev remarked, ‘We should like the Baltic Assembly to recognise the Khojali Genocide, already recognised as such by a number of other states.’

The leader of the Georgian Parliamentary Delegation to the GUAM PA Gheorghi Khelashvili and his Moldovan and Ukrainian counterparts Alexander Jizdan and Sviatoslav Yurash spoke to cover several substantial matters and to pinpoint the opportunities as well as the importance of expanding the relations within the Organisation.

Besides, Secretary General of the GUAM Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development Altay Efendiyev delivered an in-depth speech in which he highlighted the many issues on GUAM’s agenda.

President of the Baltic Assembly Andrius Kupčinskas declared that the BA found GUAM to be of material import and was prepared to co-operate with it.

Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation (PABSEC) Asaf Hajiyev talked about the fundamental principles of GUAM before emphasising that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict had been resolved and that the Nakhchivan Corridor to be opened pursuant to the trilateral declaration signed on 10 November would be a serious prop to the regional countries’ progress. The six-party platform to emerge at the suggestion of the president of Azerbaijan will be a launchpad for large-scale geopolitical and geoeconomic projects, in Mr Hajiyev’s opinion.

Further, the TURKPA Secretary General Altinbek Mamayusupov told of the high appreciation by the TURKPA of the work done in GUAM and of the interest of the TURKPA in striking up co-operation with GUAM. Mr Mamayusupov also congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the de-occupation of Garabagh.

The adoption of the four-item agenda of the 13^th session of the GUAM PA was followed by the deliberations on the combined action of the member-states in the face of the new global challenges. The efforts made to overcome the social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic were told of first. The leaders of the Georgian and Moldovan delegations to the GUAM PA Gheorghi Khelashvili and Alexandru Jizdan as well as the member of the Azerbaijani delegation Javid Osmanov and a department head from TƏBİB Yagut Garayeva gave an overview of the current situation and the measures undertaken so far.

Then, there was an exchange of opinions about the current situation of the conflicts in the GUAM member-states’ territories and relevant resolution prospects as well as about the new vectors of collaboration in this context. The Georgian delegation leader Mr Khelashvili, the member of the Azerbaijani delegation Nasib Mahamaliyev and a department head from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Mahur Gasimov brought up a number of essential matters in the course of the conversation.

The furtherance of the interparliamentary links and materialising the GUAM PA – Baltic Assembly co-operation priorities constituted the next item on the agenda. The topic was presented by the member of the Azerbaijani delegation Ali Masimli before the discussions started.

Sabuhi Temirov of the GUAM Secretariat supplied the session participants with a detailed overview of the work done currently on building a free economic zone of GUAM and commented on the advance of the principal economic projects of GUAM and on new lines of interaction.

Secretary General of GUAM Altay Efendiyev, the Azerbaijani MP Fatma Yildirim and Vice President of the Baltic Assembly Janis Vutsans took part in the discussions across the agenda and put forth relevant proposals.

The Outcome Document of the 13^th session of the GUAM PA was signed and adopted, and the chairmanship of the Assembly went from Azerbaijan to Georgia at the same videoconference. Elnur Allahverdiyev wished the Georgian counterpart every success with his tenure.

The Azerbaijani MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev, representatives of the GUAM Secretariat and members of the delegations of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic Assembly took part in the gathering as well.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis