Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met on 16 July with Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa who is visiting in our country.

The Speaker of Parliament remarked, as she was talking about the Azerbaijani-Palestinian friendly relations and co-operation based on mutual respect at the meeting, that our countries are united by the common spiritual, moral and family values as well as our peoples’ amity. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis underlined the important role of high-level visits and meetings held in deepening the inter-state relations before expressing a confidence that the current visit of the Palestinian Prime Minister will contribute remarkably to the continuing development of the relations and expansion of the co-operation between the two countries.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova noted that Azerbaijan takes a principal stance on the Question of Palestine – the stance which, she emphasised, is demonstrated in international organisations consistently.

It was said during the conversation that the beginning of operation of Azerbaijan’s Representative office in the town of Ramallah in 2023 was an important step taken in the progress of the bilateral relations. The Speaker of Parliament recalled that the Milli Majlis voted for the establishment of the office unanimously in November 2022.

Sahiba Gafarova touched upon the importance of inter-parliamentary co-operation and mentioned the fruitful co-operation of the Azerbaijani Parliament with the Palestinian National Council, bilaterally as well as under the aegis of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the OIC Parliamentary Union (PUIC), the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network. Azerbaijan consistently keeps the Question of Palestine at the forefront of her agenda in international organisations and other multilateral platforms, approaching it with particular sensitivity.

Humanitarian and, especially, education and cultural co-operation opportunities were discussed at the meeting as well. Contentment was voiced with the studies of Palestinian students in Azerbaijan; the favourable opportunities afforded them by the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant Programme were lauded.

Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa thanked the Azerbaijani State, people and Parliament for the consistent political, diplomatic and humanitarian support over the Question of Palestine. The guest underlined the importance of the meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and stressed that the people of Palestine will never forget the unwavering support on behalf of the country’s leadership. The Prime Minister also praised highly Azerbaijan’s contribution to international peace initiatives, saying that his country is committed to a just and sustainable peace on the basis of the ‘Two-State’ principle.

Mohammad Mustafa said there was a great potential to expand agricultural, education and humanitarian co-operation between the two countries. He underscored in this regard the construction of a school in Palestine with Azerbaijan’s support and other joint projects. Saying that he attached special importance to furthering the inter-parliamentary co-operation, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of expanding it further along various vectors.

In conclusion, the guest expressed admiration for the rapid development and reconstruction work afoot in Azerbaijan, and wished the Azerbaijani people peace, prosperity and successes.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis