(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 25. As part of her
current official visit to the Republic of Serbia, Speaker of the
Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament)Sahiba Gafarova has met with
Speaker of the National Assembly Vladimir Orlić on 25 May, trend reports citing the
press service of the Azerbaijani parliament.
After exchanging greetings Mr Orlić began by sharing his
impressions from his trip to Azerbaijan on the 16th of this month,
his participation in the meeting of Milli Mejlis celebrating the
100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, a visionary politician and
great statesman, the national leader, and his meeting with Sahiba
Gafarova. Orlić congratulated the head of the Milli Majlis on the
high level of arrangement of the jubilee event.
Speaking about the progress of the friendship and strategic
partnership between the two countries, Orlić said that the mutual
relations and reciprocal visits of the two Heads of State have made
it possible to advance the relationship further and that such
visits will continue. Both sides are seriously working on the
implementation of the agreements reached so far, Orlić
remarked.
Our countries co-operate in various fields and are also in
solidarity with each other when it comes to sovereignty and
territorial integrity. The high-level political dialogue stimulates
the economic ties and, incidentally, there are excellent
opportunities for further deepening of the energy ties,
environmental collaboration and investments.
It was said regarding the inter-parliamentary relations'
prospects that Gafarova's current visit to Serbia was the first
visit of the Head of the Azerbaijani Parliament to that country and
was certain to ensure a continued intensification of the relations.
The Memorandum of Inter-parliamentary Understanding to be signed
between the Narodna Skupština and Milli Majlis during the current
visit will raise our inter-parliamentary relations to a new level.
At the same time, Mr Orlić stressed the importance of friendship
groups and reciprocal visits for the development of
inter-parliamentary co-operation.
Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova thanked the Serbian
counterpart for the hospitality extended to her and once again
voiced her appreciation of his participation on 16 May in the
special Milli Majlis sitting on the occasion of National Leader
Heydar Aliyev's centenary as well as for the interesting speech
that Orlić delivered at that gathering. Gafarova remarked the
satisfaction stemming from the Azerbaijani-Serbian friendship and
strategic partnership. To quote President Ilham Aliyev of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, Serbia is one of Azerbaijan's closest
friends in Europe. The amity between the two Heads of State ensure
to a considerable extent the rapid advancement of our inter-state
relations, which is crystal clear from the fact that both President
Ilham Aliyev's visit to Serbia in November last year and his
Serbian colleague Aleksandar Vučić's trip to Azerbaijan in December
were successful.
Azerbaijan and Serbia have consistently supported each other on
matters of principle, both bilaterally and internationally, and
have always demonstrated solidarity on both planes.
The friendly links between the two nations provide a solid
foundation for the development of interstate relations.
Installation of the monument to Azerbaijan's National Leader Heydar
Aliyev in Belgrade, of the bust of the outstanding Azerbaijani
composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli in Novi Sad and of the monument to the
remarkable representative of the Serbian nation Nikola Tesla in
Baku are the manifestations of respect our nations have for each
other's values. Saying this, Mrs Gafarova also mentioned the
signing of a twinning memorandum between Shusha, the cultural
capital of Azerbaijan and Novi Pazar in March 2023.
There have been reciprocal visits of our parliamentary
delegations to date; there have also been their joint participation
in international events. The friendship groups in both legislatures
bridging the legislatures. The co-operation of these groups and of
parliamentary committees of the two sides can be harnessed to
continue strengthening the ties between our MPs.
Furthermore, Madam Speaker told her colleague of the situation
in our region since the closure of the 44 days' Patriotic War, the
large-scale restoration of the de-occupied provinces of Azerbaijan
and the fact that our country had suffered from double standards
prominent in today's world throughout the thirty years of the
occupation of 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territory. Resolutions
of the UN Security Council regarding certain countries take a
couple of years to carry out whereas international resolutions
stipulating unconditional cessation of the capture of our
territories had never been acted upon at all – that is, they
hadn't, until Azerbaijan did it herself in 2020 as she enforced the
relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council as well as
international law principles and norms, restoring her territorial
integrity and, whilst at it, also restoring the historic justice
that had been trampled theretofore.
Right now, Azerbaijan is busy building up the freed Garabagh and
East Zangazur; modern towns and villages are under construction
there; besides, Azerbaijan has geared into motion the 'Great
Return' programme envisaging putting the former IDP back in their
native lands.
Azerbaijan, although an occupation victim, is making efforts to
ensure long-term peace and stability in its region still. Armenia
has been invited to sign a peace treaty, for instance – one which
would lead to that regional peace and stability, said Gafarova.
Other topics of shared interest were talked over as well, after
which the Milli Majlis delegation were shown around the building of
the Narodna Skupština and Sahiba Gafarova left an entry in the
memorable book.
