Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Chairman of the National Assembly of Hungary Laszlo Kover on 30 June as part of her current official visit to that country.

Laszlo Kover welcomed Sahiba Gafarova and the delegation of the Parliament of Azerbaijan and thanked them for having accepted his invitation and come to Hungary. Then, Mr Kover pointed at parliamentary diplomacy growing in significance steadily in the modern world. He also underlined the great importance for the furtherance of the relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan, the two friendly states and strategic partners, of the work done by the two legislatures’ friendship groups. Our MPs co-operate as successfully under the aegis of the international parliamentary organisations, helping each other in consideration of the interests of the two countries.

The mounting co-operation of Hungary with the Turkic World by virtue of the TURKPA in which Hungary has an observer’s status doubtless serves the cause of strengthening the respective positions of our countries, Laszlo Kover pointed out. The Hungarian Parliament’s Chairman proceeded to express his gratitude to Azerbaijan for having supported the people of Hungary at difficult moments, including during the pandemic.

‘Such friendly moves are very valuable to us,’ Mr Kover emphasised before lauding the mutual relations of the two nations.     

Speaking at the meeting in her turn, Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova thanked the Hungarian counterpart for the hospitality and the invitation to pay an official visit to his country.

Hungary was among the first countries which recognised the independence of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova mentioned. Azerbaijan is interested in fostering the comprehensive co-operation with it, she noted. The relationship has evolved into a friendship and strategic partnership alike with the reciprocal visits and meetings of the two states’ leaders and the documents they have signed having made a special input in this evolution.

Citing Azerbaijani-Hungarian trade volume indications, the Chair of the Milli Majlis stressed there was a great potential to enlarge the bilateral trade. Azerbaijan is today a major economic hub of the South Caucasus as well as a reliable energy security partner and a key participant in the diversification of the routes carrying energy resources to Europe, according to Mrs Gafarova.

Madame Speaker then spoke of the humanitarian ties and recalled that First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva had been awarded Hungary’s supreme decoration for her endeavours to foster the ties.  

Our inter-parliamentary connexions are advancing, too. The bilateral friendship groups acting in both countries’ legislative assemblies are making their contribution to the on-going intensification of the inter-parliamentary bonds. The co-operation that our MPs maintain in the international organisations is as praiseworthy, Mrs Gafarova added. Then, the Chair of the Milli Majlis extended thanks to the Government of Hungary as well as the Leadership and MPs of the Hungarian Parliament for their support of the just and fair position of Azerbaijan, including during the 44 days’ Patriotic War.

The war is over, though. Azerbaijan has already launched a large-scale restoration and re-construction programme in the liberated territories, Madame Chair continued. Although the parties to the Trilateral Statement of 10 November last year agreed to resolve all issues, the refusal by Armenia to release a complete map of the minefields in the liberated territories results in servicemen and civilians including journalists falling prey to mine explosions.

The Chair of the Milli Majlis expressed the appreciation of Hungary’s backing to the work done by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and offered an opinion that it was necessary to bind Armenia internationally to releasing maps of all the mined areas.

An exchange of opinions about other subjects of shared interest followed at the meeting.

The Press and Public Relations Department  
The Milli Majlis