Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with the 76^th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Member of the House of Lords Baroness Theresa May.

As she was welcoming the guest who had come to our country for the COP29 current in Baku, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova commented on the significance of this global event.

Baroness Theresa May congratulated our country on hosting such a global-scale event and said that the COP29 that had rallied over 70,000 participants was in the world focus. The guest recalled Glasgow’s having hosted a COP event at the time, adding that they understood therefore what tremendous responsibility was involved in organising it. Baroness stressed once more the high-level COP29 arrangements by Azerbaijan.

According to Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, Azerbaijan, being a country exposed to climate change, has always paid close attention to environmental protection matters including the use of renewable energy sources, and had done it before her COP29 presidency, too. She also briefed her guest on the green energy development projects afoot in the de-occupied territories.

It was emphasised that climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and one that requires immediate action. As the Speaker of the Milli Majlis pointed out, the politicisation of events where such important matters are discussed is unacceptable. She expressed regret over the political attacks and attempts to pressure Azerbaijan by certain states prior to the event. The Speaker described that as a manifestation of a jealous attitude towards Azerbaijan’s restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The considerable role of parliaments in combatting climate change-induced problems was emphasised in the course of the conversation as well. In this context, they underscored the significance of the Parliamentary Meeting, due on 16-17 November, which the Milli Majlis and the Inter-Parliamentary Union are organising together.  

They also exchanged views upon the importance of the interaction between our parliaments as one of the key factors in the progress of the Azeri-British relations. The guest was informed about the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan. Sahiba Gafarova was glad to recall her official visit to the United Kingdom; she said that the meetings held during that visit had contributed favourably to the advancement of the links between the two countries’ legislative assemblies.

There was also a discussion of gender equality and women’s state issues. Sahiba Gafarova mentioned the special attention paid to women’s issues in our country. Azerbaijan gave women the suffrage as soon as in 1918 and sooner than the majority of Western countries. Nowadays, women fill elevated positions in our country whereas our Parliament is placing a special emphasis on their issues and on gender equality.

Besides, the conversation covered the topics of the co-operation between Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth of Nations, the humanitarian and technical aid to the Small Island Developing States that is provided via the Commonwealth, and our country’s initiative to arrange a Climate Change Summit for the Small Island Developing Nations on the margins of the COP29.

There was also an exchange of opinions about other matters of shared interest.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis