Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova currently on an official visit to Estonia met with the Chairman of the Estonian parliament (the Riigikogu) Jüri Ratas on 7 February.

The head of the Riigikogu welcomed the Azerbaijani colleague and the delegation led by her and said that Azerbaijan was a friendly state to Estonia, whilst the latter had always supported and was supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and was keen on furthering the bilateral co-operation in diverse areas. Mr Ratas also underlined the special driving force behind the progress of the bilateral links that the exchanged visits are before he stressed the need to make the inter-parliamentary connexions stronger still.

Jüri Ratas witnessed his satisfaction with the active societal integration of the Azerbaijanis living in Estonia, which circumstance, he noted, bore well on the relationship of the two states. It was said then that Estonian companies were interested in implementing projects in Azerbaijan in general and making their input in the restoration of our de-occupied provinces, in particular.

Sahiba Gafarova expressed her gratitude for the invitation to come to Estonia and for the excellent hospitality that our delegation had been met with. She noted that that was her  first ever official visit to Estonia as Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic. Mrs Gafarova went further to say that she hoped the current visit was going to push forth the bilateral relations – including the inter-parliamentary ones.

Sahiba Gafarova congratulated the Estonian side on the Day of Independence – of the independence that will turn 104 years presently. Besides, she said, the Azerbaijani-Estonian diplomatic relations were going to turn thirty years this year. The bilateral connexions have been evolving successfully all those years, according to Sahiba Gafarova.

The bilateral and multilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Estonia are influenced by a number of benevolent factors with the fruitful interaction of their legislatures being one, according to the leader of the legislative assembly of our country. Incidentally, there are now fine opportunities to strengthen the inter-parliamentary bonds more, Mrs Gafarova remarked before speaking appreciatively of the work done by both parliaments’ friendship groups and expressing her pleasure with the parliaments’ co-operation in the international organisations.

Mrs Gafarova proceeded to refer to the visit of the delegation of the Riigikogu group of friendship with Azerbaijan to our country in November 2021 when the Estonian MPs could eye-witness the aftermath of the vandalism that Armenia had wreaked in the town of Agdam. The statements that the Estonian friendship group had made about the Khojali Genocide and the first anniversary of the de-occupation of our lands had been appreciated very much in Azerbaijan. Sahiba Gafarova mentioned the approaching thirtieth anniversary of the genocide committed in Khojali and supplied Mr Ratas with profound information about that atrocity.

Furthermore, Mrs Gafarova touched on Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44 days’ Patriotic War, saying that there was no conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan anymore – it was ended with the Trilateral Statement inked on 10 November 2020. A new kind of reality reigns in the region. We ought to talk of peace and future development rather than war now, and as for Armenia, Armenia should accept this new reality that is established in our part of the word, Sahiba Gafarova emphasised.

The two sides were also exchanging views upon other matters of joint interest in the course of the conversation.

The Press and Public Relations Department

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The Milli Majlis