On 21 February Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Chairman of the Council of Representatives of the Republic of Iraq Mohsen Ali Akbar Al-Mandalawi who had come to our country to join the 14^th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

Greeting the guest, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova expressed her confidence that the topics discussed at the Plenary Session were bound to promote solution of the issues concerning the humankind in the modern epoch. Mrs Gafarova remarked further that the event would also help strengthen co-operation between the Organisation’s Member States.

Sahiba Gafarova underlined the Azerbaijani-Iraqi relations’ being based on the common religious and cultural values of their peoples before mentioning the unwavering mutual support between Azerbaijan and Iraq in the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

The importance of the co-operation – bilateral as well as through international organisations – of our legislatures was emphasised at the meeting. The Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement established at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan was described as an important platform in this regard.

The Chairman of the Iraqi Council of Representatives offered his congratulations on the successful organisation of the APA Plenary Session as well as on the APA chairmanship’s transition to Azerbaijan. He then underlined the significance of the co-operation in Assembly. The guest said there were fine opportunities to broaden our co-operation as he was talking about his country’s being interested in furthering and strengthening its relations with Azerbaijan.

Also, as the meeting went on, they exchanged views upon other matters of shared interest.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis