Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has had a meeting with Marshal of the Polish Sejm Elżbieta Witek during her current official visit to the Republic of Poland.

Mrs Witek greeted her Azerbaijani counterpart cordially and told of her satisfaction with the relations present between the legislative assemblies of the two states. Mrs Witek said she hoped that the arrival of the Speaker of the Milli Majlis in Poland would contribute in its own way to further deepening of the Polish-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary relations.

Highlighting the considerable place of parliamentary diplomacy in international relations in general, Mrs Witek underscored the import of co-operation between the assemblies in the light of this. She proceeded to describe Azerbaijan as a state that is friendly to Poland and mention the on-going broadening of multidirectional bilateral co-operation. The ties between our peoples set high standards, Mrs Witek added before bringing up the many points of convergence that they have.

The Marshal of the Sejm then informed the Chair of the Milli Majlis of the current state of affairs in Poland, her growth indications and her multicultural environment.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis said her thanks for the invitation to come to Poland and the generous hospitality of her hosts. She said that the relations between our countries were at an elevated level, which, in turn, allowed bilateral co-operation to move on in all the areas it embraces. Sahiba Gafarova pointed at the intensive importance of the visits of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to Poland and of the leaders of Poland to Azerbaijan in terms of the progress of relations.

The leader of the Milli Majlis said, as she was telling of the current situation in our region, that by having recovered her own lands from the almost 30-year-long occupation back in 2020 Azerbaijan made her national territory whole again and enforced independently the four resolutions of the UN Security Council demanding immediate, complete and unconditional removal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan lands. That was achieved thanks to Azerbaijan’s historic victory in the 44 days’ Patriotic War. There is no conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan anymore – the one that was has faded to history scrolls. This is why acts and declarations calling in question Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolable borders are intolerable.

Armenia had destroyed all our villages and towns, vandalised our historical and cultural and religious heritage, desecrated our mosques and shrines during the occupation period. As she was telling Mrs Witek about that and in great detail, too, Mrs Gafarova also told her colleague of ethnic cleansing in those lands and of more than a million of our compatriots who had become refugees and displaced persons consequently.

Sahiba Gafarova emphasised the start given to makeover of the previously captured lands immediately they had been freed. Relying on her resources only, Azerbaijan began large-scale restoration endeavours. The whole infrastructure of those parts is being recreated in lieu of the annihilated predecessor; new towns and villages are being planned and built in Garabagh and East Zangazur, both proclaimed a ‘green energy’ zone. The erstwhile IDP began to move back into native parts last year. The mines that Armenia had planted in the already-free lands in large numbers pose the biggest obstacle to that cause. Those mines’ explosions have killed or maimed close to 300 Azerbaijani civilians and military servicemen since 10 November 2020.

Mrs Gafarova also mentioned Azerbaijan’s five-principle proposal to Armenia to define borders and normalise relations. We want to look to the future, to achieve peace and to build normal relations. Regrettably, we are observing the continuing violation by Armenia of its own obligations, the Armenian provocations on the borders and in the sovereign lands of Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s attempts at fooling the international community. Meanwhile, Armenia had best comprehend it is necessary for it to honour its assumed obligations, take a constructive approach to matters and normalise the relations based on the said five principles. After all, this is the only path that leads to peace and stability in the region.

The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Poland turned thirty years in 2022 but the history of our peoples’ friendship and co-operation is much broader and longer. Azerbaijan’s relations with Poland are advancing bilaterally and within the frameworks of the European Union. Co-operation with the EU is one of the foreign political priorities of Azerbaijan, a dependable partner of the Union.

Mrs Gafarova said then that that was her first official visit to the Republic of Poland as Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. She said she hoped that this visit was poised to generate an added impulse for the existing inter-parliamentary connexions to progress further. Those connexions are of special importance for the furtherance of the inter-state relations. Being legislative assemblies of the two friendly states, the two strategic partners, the Milli Majlis and the Sejm of Poland have at their disposal sound opportunities to step up and strengthen their co-operation under the aegis of inter-parliamentary organisations. As for the work that both sides’ friendship groups are doing, it matters very much in the progress of the inter-legislature links; the two groups are bridging both parliaments with their periodical contacts and dialogue.

Sahiba Gafarova also informed Mrs Witek of Azerbaijan’s multiculturalist environment, churches and synagogues functioning alongside mosques and the opportunities the State had afforded them. She broached the subject of gender policy of our country and pointed out that Azerbaijan was the first in the Muslim East to grant women the suffrage.

The conversation went on; Mrs Gafarova and Mrs Witek shared views upon other subjects of shared interest as well.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis