The traditions and practices of parliamentarianism, formed over many years in our countries, have a significant influence on the current activities of our parliaments. Speaking about the traditions of parliamentarianism in Azerbaijan, I would like to particularly highlight the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic established in 1918. In this context, it is no coincidence that our conference got underway today, on December 7, as the first session of the Azerbaijani Parliament was held on this very day,” said Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Parliament, while addressing the international parliamentary conference on “Parliamentarism: Traditions and Perspectives” in Baku.

Sahiba Gafarova emphasized that the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first legislative body in the entire Muslim East of that time, formed on the basis of the most progressive democratic principles. She noted that though only active for 17 months the Parliament took crucial steps to strengthen national statehood and independence, establishing a legal framework in political, economic, cultural, scientific, and other fields.

“Azerbaijan`s gaining its independence in 1991 marked the beginning of a new era in the history of our Parliament," Gafarova underscored.