On 22 July, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova participated in the 17^th Meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Caucus. The meeting, organised by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, was held under the theme ‘The Role of Parliament in Strengthening ASEAN Centrality in Navigating Complex Global Challenges’.

Taking part in the event online, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova observed that states are closely interconnected and none of them is capable of addressing global challenges alone in the world as it is today. She said that the maintenance of peace and security, sustainable development, climate-related activities and food and energy security are possible only as the result of combined effort. Effective multilateral co-operation grounded in international law, equal dialogue and mutually beneficial partnership therefore has greater importance today than ever before, the Speaker stressed.

Sahiba Gafarova remarked in her speech that regional organisations constitute one of the essential pillars of international co-operation. She pointed out that those organisations serve the development of dialogues between states as well as strengthening trust and promoting practical co-operation. In this sense, she said, ASEAN continues contributing importantly to regional peace, stability and prosperity whereas the Organisation’s central role is important for reinforcement of regional co-operation and for effective responses to common challenges. The Speaker said that the Parliamentary Assembly, which unites the ASEAN Member States’ Parliaments, supplements those endeavours and thus supports the strategic priorities of ASEAN whilst bolstering the parliamentary dimension of regional co-operation.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said that Azerbaijan, an observer Parliament in the AIPA, attaches great importance to the co-operation with the Organisation. She underlined our country’s being intent on continuing the expansion of the dialogues with the ASEAN Member States. Closer co-operation with the AIPA will provide for development of parliamentary diplomacy as well as exchange of experience and advanced approaches.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis touched upon parliamentary diplomacy as an important means of strengthening trust, promoting dialogue and ensuring peaceful resolution of common challenges. Parliaments strengthen the rules-based world order, ensure promotion of respect for international law and formulation of effective multilateral to global challenges, all via legislative activities, ratification of international treaties and parliamentary supervision, she said.

The Speaker mentioned Azerbaijan’s commitment to effective multilateral co-operation based on international law, sovereign equality of states and principles of mutual respect. She cited the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, established at the suggestion of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev, as a vivid example of such an approach. The Network serves an important platform for international dialogue, exchange of experience and collaboration to address global challenges.

Sahiba Gafarova noted that inter-parliamentary co-operation is at its most effective when it is based on global and regional endeavours. She also brought up the close co-operation between the AIPA and regional as well as international parliamentary organisations. Not only does this co-operation strengthen parliamentary diplomacy but it also promotes regional outlooks globally.

As she spoke of the co-operation between the AIPA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Speaker of the Milli Majlis remarked that the Organisation, which holds a permanent observer status in the IPU, contributes to the efforts of the global parliamentary community and supports development of the dialogue between the ASEAN Region and parliaments of various countries the world over. According to her, such close co-operation also demonstrates the growing role of regional parliamentary organisations within the multilateral system and manifests the importance of joint actions.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis said whilst concluding her address that parliamentary diplomacy bridges peoples and states as well as it strengthens trust and provides for multilateral co-operation. She emphasised those values constituting the guiding operating principles of the AIPA as well and matter for the strengthening of ASEAN’s central role and for responses to modern global challenges alike. Thus, supremacy of international law and the consequent assurance that not one country is left out are achievable through joint efforts to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and multilateral co-operation.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis