Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had a meeting on 5 May with the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Honda Taro.

As she welcomed the Japanese guest, the Chair of the Milli Majlis also expressed a belief that his arrival in our country was going to make an input of its own to the advancement of the bilateral relations. She then mentioned the current state of those relations contentedly. 

Azerbaijan finds it to be of utmost importance to promote versatile relations with Japan. There is an active political dialogue built up between our countries, which, together with the closely-knit economic collaboration, predetermine the progress in interaction in other areas, too, in the opinion of Mrs Gafarova.

The leader of the Azerbaijani parliament said then that the Azerbaijani-Japanese diplomatic relations were turning thirty years in 2022 and that the first embassy Japan had installed in the South Caucasus was nowhere else but in Azerbaijan, which is telling of the significance attached to the relations with our country. Sahiba Gafarova also underlined the exceptional place occupied in the development of the bilateral relations by supreme and high-level reciprocal visits, and the importance of high-status visits and of documents signed during them.

Turning to the connexions between the legislatures of the two countries then, Sahiba Gafarova underscored the role of inter-parliamentary co-operation in the evolution of our ties. There are the friendship groups active in both parliaments and their work is highly commendable, according to Mrs Gafarova.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis went on to tell Japan’s Vice Minister of the utter destruction by Armenia in the 30-year-long period of occupation of the Azerbaijani lands of all the buildings, infrastructure, cultural heritage and cult edifices of our people. Restoration and building operations are in full swing in the liberated territories now. Having said that, Mrs Gafarova also mentioned the problem of mines and minefields to Mr Honda.

Efforts are being made to normalise the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Certain arrangements were achieved at the trilateral meeting in Brussels held upon the initiative and with the participation of the President of the EU Council Charles Michel. Armenia accepts the five underlying principles of a future peace treaty proposed by Azerbaijan. We are talking about peace and stability; we trust that a peace treaty will be signed between the two states in the near future, Mrs Gafarova was saying.

Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Honda Taro expressed his gratitude for the heartfelt welcome, saying then that it was a great honour for him to meet the Chair of the Milli Majlis. He also congratulated Mrs Gafarova on the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations. The two countries have been furthering successful co-operation in many areas including in politics and economic matters in the past period, according to Mr Honda. Azerbaijan is an important state when it comes to maintaining the international energy security and keeping up peace in the region; besides, Azerbaijan is a very important partner to Japan, the guest continued, stressing then the momentousness of the mutually advantageous interaction. Mr Honda also touched upon the progress of the bilateral inter-parliamentary collaboration and the special weight of exchanged visit in its context.

Going further, Mr Honda voiced his advocacy of injecting yet more activity and advancement in the connexions between Japan and Azerbaijan. The two countries are negotiating the involvement of Japanese companies in creating a ‘green energy’ zone and in the rebuilding and restoration projects in the de-occupied Azerbaijani territories, too, Mr Honda remarked.

The interlocutors then exchanged opinions about other topics of interest to both parties.

The leader of the working group for inter-parliamentary connexions with japan Amina Agazade, Chief of the Milli Majlis Staff Safa Mirzayev, the Ambassador of Japan to Azerbaijan Wada Junichi and other officials took part in the meeting as well.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis