As he opened the first meeting of the Milli Majlis Regional Affairs Committee in the 2022 autumn session on 18 January, Committee Chairman Siyavush Novruzov remarked that the year 2021 had been successful for the country. He mentioned emphatically the historic visits of President Ilham Aliyev to the de-occupied territories and the huge restoration and building projects afoot there by way of a run-up to the Great Return. Last year was a continuation of Azerbaijan’s Victory March, in the opinion of Mr Novruzov.

The systematic reforms implemented due to the political will of President Aliyev last year were important for economic growth, making the governance more efficient, maintaining the rule of law and solidifying the pillars of civil society and legal state in Azerbaijan.

The successful progress of the political dialogue during the same year contributed to the national unity remarkably. Azerbaijan as a modern state entered a new age of national progress; new horizons spread before the victorious country and the victorious nation, Mr Novruzov went on.

Having said that, the committee chairman turned to the agenda of the meeting and told the colleagues that it consisted two items withal: the 2021 autumn session performance report and the 2022 spring session work plan.

The report was presented first. Mr Novruzov mentioned the seven meetings held to consider four matters including amendments to the law ‘On the Local (Municipal) Taxes and Fees’ and the three readings of the 2022 State Budget Bill. Also, the committee had joined forces with the National Association of Urban, Settlement and Village Municipalities to hold the ‘Azerbaijan’s Historic Victory’ videoconference.

The committee that was organising its work in compliance with the quarantine requirements received 67 electronic and hardcopy applications from the citizens whereas its members received the total of 1,034 applications. All the inbound correspondence was processed duly; the issues brought up in a portion of it were raised with the appropriate agencies so that those issues would be resolved eventually.

In addition, the MPs who are on the committee were active in social networks and mass media, and took part in various events; they were voicing their respective standpoints on the then current public and political topics. They also took the immediate care of the concerns and problems of the people, especially, those in the vulnerable groups as well as shahid families and gazies, in their corresponding constituencies.

Done with the report, the chairman of the Regional Affairs Committee tabled the 2022 spring session work plan. The committee, he said, was to discuss the Bills that it would be receiving as well as to hold hearings that will be attended by relevant departments and local self-government bodies.

The past-period activities were commented on by the deputy chairman of the committee Elshan Musayev and the MPs Mazahir Efendiyev, Sabina Khasayeva, Aghil Mammadov, Sattar Mehbaliyev, Kamran Bayramov, Javid Osmanov and Nizami Jafarov. They found the report to be acceptable.

Also, the committee members shared their considerations, opinions and proposals concerning development of the provinces, the current condition and prospects of the local self-government bodies, founding municipalities in the de-occupied territories and the relevant hearings and debates that had taken place during the autumn session of the Milli Majlis.

Eventually, both the 2021 autumn session performance report and the 2022 spring session work plan were approved.

Another member of this committee Aliabbas Salahzade and other officials took part in the meeting, too.

The Press and Public Relations Committee
The Milli Majlis