Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had a meeting with the delegation led by Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations Patricia Scotland.

The bilateral ties of Azerbaijan with the Commonwealth members were mentioned during the meeting. It was said that, doubtless, the current visit afforded an excellent opportunity for building co-operation between Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth.

The President of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was said that certainly the current visit creates an excellent

Most of the Commonwealth nations are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement. The measures taken by the Non-Aligned Movement on the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan have ensured the growth of the organisation's authority and the expansion of co-operation among its Member States.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova told the guests of the establishment of the Movement's Parliamentary Network. It was said that the Parliamentary Network had grown and welcomed new members since its inaugural congress in 2021, and today more than half of the parliaments of the Non-Aligned Movement States were represented in the Network.

Patricia Scotland praised the measures taken by our country during its chairmanship of the Movement, saying Azerbaijan's chairmanship allowed the voices of small states to be heard.

Sahiba Gafarova also informed the guests about the international activities of the Milli Majlis, the legislative assembly of Azerbaijan.

It was mentioned as the conversation went on that Patricia Scotland is also Member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the ties with the United Kingdom and that these ties are dynamically developing in various spheres of bilateral co-operation.

They also discussed the 29^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP29, which will be held in our country this year. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that climate change is one of the most important and most urgent challenges at present. It is a challenge requiring global response and joint efforts. Azerbaijan's hosting of this important international event is a vivid indicator of recognition of our country's efforts to combat climate change not only at the national, but also at the regional and global levels. In line with COP29, the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan together with the Inter-Parliamentary Union is planning to organise a parliamentary meeting, which will be a parliamentary contribution to multilateral climate action

Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations congratulated Azerbaijan on the forthcoming hosting of the event and said she was certain that it would set high standards what with the organisational backing from our country.

Other matters of shared interest were talked over, too, as the meeting continued.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis