BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Azerbaijani
parliament speaker Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech at an event
hosted by Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute on July 30 during
her official visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia.
According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the
Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan), the event was attended by
officials from Ethiopian state institutions, members of the
diplomatic corps, scholars and experts in international relations,
representatives of the academic community and students.
Gafarova first met with Mohammedrafi Abaraya, deputy director of
Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute.
The visit also included the signing of a memorandum of
understanding between ADA University and the Foreign Affairs
Institute in the presence of the two delegations.
Speaking on the topic "Azerbaijan and Ethiopia: Advancing
interparliamentary dialogue, cooperation and multilateralism,"
Gafarova said relations between Azerbaijan and Ethiopia have
continued to develop successfully both bilaterally and within
international organizations.
She said visits to Azerbaijan by Ethiopian President Taye Atske
Selassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, their meetings with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the visit to
Ethiopia by Leyla Aliyeva, vice president of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation, had made a significant contribution to strengthening
friendship, mutual respect and trust between the two countries. She
also described interparliamentary relations as an important driver
of bilateral ties.
Highlighting Azerbaijan's innovative public service model,
Gafarova cited the successful adoption in Ethiopia of Azerbaijan's
ASAN Service model through the MESOB Service Center as an example
of mutually beneficial cooperation. She said partnerships built on
trust, knowledge sharing and the exchange of experience provide the
foundation for joint development and sustainable progress.
Gafarova said humanitarian cooperation is one of the key pillars
of Azerbaijan-Ethiopia relations. She noted that ADA University,
under the leadership of Rector Hafiz Pashayev, has made a
significant contribution to expanding international academic
cooperation. She added that the memorandum signed between ADA
University and Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Institute would help
broaden cooperation in science and education while further
strengthening friendly relations between the two countries.
The parliament speaker also outlined Azerbaijan's foreign policy
priorities, saying the country consistently places special emphasis
on promoting dialogue, solidarity and multilateralism in
international affairs. As a member of the Global South, Azerbaijan
has consistently sought to advance the interests of Global South
countries, particularly African nations, through its participation
in international platforms.
She cited Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of the
Non-Aligned Movement, its initiatives to strengthen the
organization's institutional development, and its efforts to
protect the interests of member states and support the development
agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic as examples of that policy.
Gafarova also said Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to
expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with African
countries.
Turning to broader international affairs, she said the
international system is undergoing one of its deepest
transformations since the establishment of the United Nations.
Although the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, she
said, it is also becoming more politically fragmented. She pointed
to a growing number of conflicts, increasingly complex humanitarian
crises and unprecedented pressure on multilateral institutions.
In such circumstances, Gafarova said, strengthening trust among
states, promoting dialogue based on mutual respect and reinforcing
multilateral cooperation have become more important than ever.
She also stressed the need to strengthen multilateralism,
improve the effectiveness of international institutions and
cooperation platforms, and address current global challenges
through concrete measures.
Speaking about parliamentary diplomacy, Gafarova said
interparliamentary dialogue plays a vital role in building trust
between states, fostering mutual understanding and developing joint
responses to common challenges. Without strong parliaments that
enjoy public trust, she said, even the most comprehensive
development strategies risk remaining only on paper.
She added that expanding cooperation and the exchange of
experience among parliaments is essential to strengthening
multilateralism and achieving shared development goals.
Gafarova said strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, promoting
mutual understanding and expanding multilateral cooperation are key
to building a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable future.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, during
which Gafarova answered questions from the audience.
