As part of her official visit to the Italian Republic, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has held a meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana.

Their meeting saw an exchange of views regarding the relations between the two countries and their parliaments. Warmly welcoming the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Lorenzo Fontana expressed his confidence that this visit would contribute to strengthening and expanding ties between the parliaments.

He underscored the importance of Azerbaijan-Italy relations for Italy and expressed satisfaction with the development of inter-parliamentary ties. Additionally, Lorenzo Fontana emphasised that Italy attaches great importance to Azerbaijan's relations with the European Union and stands ready to provide full support for their further development. He also expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s growth as a strong and stable country.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis mentioned that that was her second official visit to the Italian Republic and that it signified the intense importance hat Azerbaijan attaches to the relations with the Parliament of Italy. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova described Italy as one of the closest partners to Azerbaijan, adding that the relations that encompass may areas advance in the spirit of friendship and collaboration.

The exceptional significance of the political contacts, including high-level visits and meetings, in the development of relations between the two countries was highlighted during the conversation. A special emphasis was placed on the role of reciprocal presidential visits, which have made an outstanding contribution to the elevation of the relations to a qualitatively new level.

The crucial role of inter-parliamentary cooperation as one of the key factors having a substantial positive impact on both bilateral and multilateral relations was referenced, too. The successful experience of reciprocal visits by parliamentary friendship groups and other parliamentary delegations was also mentioned.

It was emphasised that, alongside visits by Milli Majlis representatives to Italy, Italian parliamentarians, too, had actively participated in various significant events held in Azerbaijan. The importance of the joint work of friendship groups in further deepening relations between the legislative bodies was noted as well. Their regular contacts, dialogue, and exchange of views act as a bridge between the two parliaments.

The discussion then broached the significant role of cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture. It was stressed that such interaction contributes to strengthening ties between the two countries and bringing their peoples closer together. The importance of cultural projects implemented by Azerbaijan, particularly by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in Italy was underscored in this regard.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova invited President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana to visit Azerbaijan. The invitation was accepted with gratitude.

The meeting also involved an exchange of views on a few issues of mutual interest, including discussions on the current situation in the region and on a broader geographical scale.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis