BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. On July 15,
Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Peter
Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic, who is on an official
visit to Azerbaijan.
This was reported by the Parliament’s Public Relations
Office.
It is reported that the distinguished guest first toured the
parliament’s plenary hall.
The guests then visited the Heydar Aliyev Museum at the
parliament.
Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic, signed the
guest book.
Speaking about the friendly relations and mutually beneficial
cooperation between the two countries, Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of
the Parliament of Azerbaijan, noted during the meeting that
relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia have been developing
rapidly in recent years and have reached the level of a strategic
partnership. She emphasized that the Joint Declaration on the
Establishment of a Strategic Partnership, signed in 2024, has
created a solid foundation for the successful development of
cooperation in various areas. The Speaker noted the important role
of active political dialogue, as well as mutual visits at the
highest and high levels, in this process, emphasizing that the
first official visit of the President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to Slovakia in December 2025, as well as
the current official visit of Peter Pellegrini, President of the
Slovak Republic, to Azerbaijan, had ushered in a new phase in the
development of Azerbaijani-Slovak relations.
Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan,
recalled with satisfaction her previous meetings with President
Peter Pellegrini. She noted that Peter Pellegrini’s official visit
to Azerbaijan this time, as President of the Slovak
Republic—following his visits to the country as Chairman of the
National Council of Slovakia and later as Prime Minister of
Slovakia— as well as the talks he held in Shusha with President of
the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, are of particular
significance for the development of bilateral relations. The
Speaker expressed confidence that this visit would make an
important contribution to further strengthening Azerbaijani-Slovak
ties and expanding cooperation.
During the conversation, the importance of cooperation in the
humanitarian sphere, particularly in the fields of education and
culture, was noted. It was emphasized that these areas play a vital
role in strengthening mutual understanding and friendly relations
between people. It was also noted that the launch of direct flights
between Baku and Bratislava, scheduled for October of this year,
will significantly contribute to the development of ties between
the two nations and create new opportunities for cooperation.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that interparliamentary
cooperation is one of the key areas of Azerbaijani-Slovak
relations. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova
noted that mutual visits and regular contacts between the
legislative bodies make a substantial contribution to the
development of bilateral ties. Recalling with satisfaction her
official visit to Slovakia five years ago, the Speaker highly
commended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between
the parliaments during the official visit of Richard Raši, Chairman
of the National Council of Slovakia, to Azerbaijan in May of this
year. According to her, this document is intended to take
interparliamentary relations to a qualitatively new level.
Throughout the meeting, the importance of strengthening ties
between interparliamentary friendship groups was also emphasized.
In addition, the need to expand cooperation between relevant
parliamentary committees and to further develop collaboration
within international parliamentary organizations was noted.
Speaking about the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, also
praised Slovakia’s contribution to the reconstruction of Karabakh.
She noted that the “smart village” project being implemented by a
Slovak company in the village of Bash Garvend in the Aghdam
district is a clear example of successful practical cooperation
between the two countries. It was emphasized that the general
education school, the construction of which was launched the day
before in the city of Aghdam with the participation of the
presidents of both countries, will become yet another symbol of
friendship between Azerbaijan and Slovakia.
President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini expressed his
satisfaction with his official visit to Azerbaijan and his visit to
the Azerbaijani Parliament. The distinguished guest noted that
following his visit to Azerbaijan in 2018 as Prime Minister of
Slovakia, the government he led decided to open the country’s
embassy in Azerbaijan. According to him, this step demonstrated the
importance Slovakia attaches to developing relations with
Azerbaijan. President Peter Pellegrini emphasized that friendly
relations and political dialogue between the two countries are
currently at a high level, and noted Slovakia’s interest in further
expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in various fields. It was
also noted that the visits to Azerbaijan by three high-ranking
Slovak officials over the past two years serve as a prime example
of this.
President Peter Pellegrini noted that beginning his official
visit, undertaken at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, in the city of Shusha holds special symbolic significance.
He emphasized that it is a particular honor for him to be the first
head of state from a European Union member country to pay an
official visit to Shusha. The president expressed confidence that
the meetings held in Shusha, the discussions that took place, and
the agreements reached will make an important contribution to the
further development of relations between Azerbaijan and
Slovakia.
The distinguished guest shared his positive impressions of the
large-scale restoration and reconstruction work being carried out
in Karabakh and highly commended the contribution of Slovak
companies to this process, as well as the projects they are
implementing, calling them a vivid example of successful
cooperation between the two countries. President Peter Pellegrini
expressed particular pride in the decision to name the general
education school currently under construction in Aghdam after an
outstanding Slovak figure, emphasizing that this would be yet
another manifestation of friendship and mutual respect between
Slovakia and Azerbaijan.
During the conversation, the distinguished guest recalled with
satisfaction his meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament held
on various occasions, emphasized the importance of
interparliamentary cooperation, and noted the need to further
develop ties between the relevant parliamentary committees. In
conclusion, he once again invited the Speaker of the Azerbaijani
Parliament to pay an official visit to Slovakia.
Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the
meeting.
