BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 4. On May 4, Sabiha
Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, held a meeting
with Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union (IPU), who is currently visiting the country, Parliament’s
Public Relations and Media Department told Trend.


Expressing her satisfaction with the guest’s latest visit to
Azerbaijan, Speaker Sabiha Gafarova highlighted the successful
cooperation between the IPU and the Azerbaijani Parliament, noting
that since 2021, the country's deputies have been participating
more actively in the IPU’s work and holding leadership positions
within the organization.


The Speaker also highlighted the Parliament’s cooperation with
the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement and expressed
her gratitude to Secretary-General Martin Chungong for supporting
this initiative.


Sabiba Gafarova thanked the IPU Secretary General both for his
efforts to develop bilateral cooperation and for facilitating
meetings between the speakers of the parliaments of Azerbaijan and
Armenia.


The Speaker emphasized that these meetings contribute to the
process of building trust between the peoples and expressed
confidence that, following the adoption of relevant amendments to
the Constitution of Armenia, a peace treaty between the two
countries would soon be signed, which would create broader
opportunities for cooperation between the parliaments.


Gafarova also noted that the IPU is an important platform where
people can listen to one another and engage in dialogue, while
emphasizing the significance of President Ilham Aliyev’s support
and attention to the development of ties with the
Inter-Parliamentary Union.


Expressing his gratitude for the kind words, Secretary General
Martin Chungong noted that during his tenure, relations between the
IPU and Azerbaijan have been transformed.


He emphasized that under the leadership of President Ilham
Aliyev, Azerbaijan has always been committed to developing
cooperation with the IPU. According to him, Azerbaijan is currently
drawing attention for its activities within this organization. The
Secretary-General highlighted Azerbaijan’s active participation in
NAM events, the representation of Azerbaijani Parliament deputies
in leadership positions, and the successful cooperation between the
parties. He emphasized that the leadership of the Speaker of the
Azerbaijani Parliament over the Parliamentary Network of the
Non-Aligned Movement has played an important role both in the
development of the Network itself and in strengthening its ties
with the IPU.


In addition, it was noted that the establishment of dialogue
between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Armenia within the
framework of the peace process between the two countries
contributes to achieving the IPU’s primary goal, strengthening
peace. The guest expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev
for his significant support of cooperation with the IPU and noted
that his visit is a testament to Azerbaijan’s trust and confidence
in this organization.


During the conversation, the Secretary-General expressed high
praise for the achievements made in Azerbaijan within the framework
of the COP29 Parliamentary Conference, emphasizing that these
successes had demonstrated to the entire world the mobilizing power
of parliaments.


Following the meeting, Martin Chungong was awarded the Honorary
Medal of the Azerbaijani Parliament for his contributions to the
development of constructive dialogue and effective cooperation
between parliaments, as well as for his role in strengthening and
expanding bilateral and multilateral ties between the Azerbaijani
Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.