Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had a meeting with the Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko on 24 February.

Having greeted the guest, Sahiba Gafarova mentioned the broad topicality of the efficient and successful bilateral co-operation, adding that Azerbaijan was keen on furthering equality-based partnership with the EU. The co-operation with the EU is one of the foreign political priorities with Azerbaijan, according to the speaker of the Milli Majlis.

The visit to our country of the EU Council President Charles Michel in July 2021 and President Ilham Aliyev of the Azerbaijan Republic attending the 6^th Summit of the EU Eastern Partnership in Brussels in December last year were brought up then as tokens of the positive nature of the bilateral relations. What is more, the EU happens to be the principal trade partner of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova added. The energy co-operation between our country and the Union is strategic in nature; apart from shipping crude oil to Europe, Azerbaijan also supplies the Continent with natural gas and has become a dependable supplier of this fuel.

The conversations about a new bilateral partnership treaty are at the conclusive stage; Azerbaijan has inked strategic partnership documents with as many as nine EU member states to date, according to Speaker Gafarova.

Turning to the parliamentary aspect of our relationship then, Madame Chair spoke about the contribution Azerbaijani MPs are making to the developing co-operation on the Inter-Parliamentary Co-operation Committee as well as under the aegis of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. For instance, the Milli Majlis has built up fruitful interaction with the EU national parliaments. There were official visits to the EU members Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia earlier this month; the visits brought its bit to the table as far as the co-operative bonds are regarded, Sahiba Gafarova was saying.

Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day Patriotic War and the new situation established in the region by now were mentioned during the conversation, too. With that victory, Azerbaijan terminated the thirty-year-long occupation of its lands by Armenia, made its national territory whole again and, while at it, enforced the four resolutions of the UN Security Council and the international law’s principles and standards all by itself. There is no conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan anymore. We want to talk about peace and the future, Sahiba Gafarova emphasised.

Armenia had plundered and destroyed all the formerly captured towns and provinces, their infrastructure and Azerbaijan’s cultural and historical legacy completely in those thirty years. So, Azerbaijan is busy with the large-scale restoration and building in those provinces now. A lot has been done in a short while. A new transport infrastructure is in place and an international airport was launched in Fuzuli. The opening of the Zangazur Corridor and of all the regional communications of the region in general will come as a hefty addition to its transport potential. Besides, it will also bolster the regional co-operation in that field, in the opinion of Mrs Gafarova.

Thanking for the warm welcome, the Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko pointed out to Sahiba Gafarova that our country is a partner of immense importance to the EU. There are solid partnership ties with a massive thematic agenda encompassing, for instance, economic issues, technologies and innovations, trade and energy. Peter Michalko expressed the preparedness to support the large-scale restoration and rebuilding endeavours of Azerbaijan in its freed territories – including the Smart Town and Smart Village projects. The EU is also backing the de-mining of those areas, Mr Michalko added.

Exchanged visits add dynamism to our relations; the Eastern Partnership Programme processes are successful, Mr Michalko was saying. He also highlit the importance of the EP Summit and underscored Azerbaijan’s participation.

The EU wants our region to develop stably and safely and will spare no measures to prop steps being taken to that end whilst also standing prepared to join regional co-operation initiatives, Peter Michalko told Sahiba Gafarova.

Other matters of shared interest were talked over at the meeting as well.

The Press and Public Relations Department  
The Milli Majlis