Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has had a meeting with the parliamentary delegation led by First Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates Tariq Humaid Mattar Muhammad Al Tayer, which had arrived in our country for the 15^th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA).

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis recalled the Azerbaijani Parliament’s having presided over the APA since last year and underscored the country’s commitment to making this entity stronger as an important platform for the union of the Asian parliaments and development of parliamentary diplomacy. It was said that such parliamentary fora played a significant role in discussing bilateral co-operation issues.

The current state of relations between the two countries was also discussed during the meeting. The high level of the friendly ties between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, which hold strategic significance, was highlighted as well. The historical, religious and cultural bonds between the two nations provide a strong foundation for the further development of bilateral relations, it was said then. Reciprocal high-level visits, along with active political contacts, have contributed to their continued expansion. 

The discussion also underscored the significant role of parliaments in the development of bilateral relations. Both sides expressed their interest in further deepening cooperation. The fruitful collaboration between the legislative bodies of the two countries within international parliamentary organisations was noted, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Member States, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) and the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis lauded the UAE Parliament’s active involvement in the work done by the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement. She also mentioned Azerbaijan’s contribution to the institutional progress of the Network, which had been established upon the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev.

First Deputy Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council Tariq Humaid Mattar Muhammad Al Tayer expressed pleasure with being in Azerbaijan and having taken part in the APA 15^th plenary session. He also conveyed to the Speaker of the Milli Majlis the regards of Speaker of the Federal National Council Saqr Ghobash.   

The guest said that a considerable work of intense importance for the region that the Asian Parliamentary Assembly encompasses had been done in the course of the Azerbaijani chairmanship of the APA. He then referred to the APA as a useful platform for the interaction amongst the Member States and for discussion of issues of significance for them.

The meeting also had discussions concerning other topics of shared interest.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis