Sahiba Gafarova, Azerbaijan’s Speaker of Milli Majlis, met with a delegation led by Tariq Humaid Matar Mohd Altayer, First Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council of the UAE, who is visiting Azerbaijan to participate in the 15th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Baku.

Recalling that the Azerbaijani Parliament has been presiding over the APA since last year, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova underscored the country’s commitment to making the Assembly stronger as an important platform for the union of the Asian parliaments and development of parliamentary diplomacy. The Speaker noted that such parliamentary fora played a significant role in discussing bilateral cooperation issues.

The discussions also revolved around the current state of relations between the two countries. The sides hailed the high level of the friendly ties between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, which hold strategic significance.

Speaker Gafarova mentioned that the historical, religious and cultural bonds between the two nations provide a strong foundation for the further development of bilateral relations. The Speaker underlined that reciprocal high-level visits, along with active political contacts, had contributed to their continued expansion.

The discussion also underscored the significant role of parliaments in the development of bilateral ties. Both sides expressed their interest in further deepening cooperation.

The parties also emphasized the fruitful collaboration between the legislative bodies of the two countries within international parliamentary organizations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Member States, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) and the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis praised the UAE Parliament’s active involvement in the work done by the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement. She also mentioned Azerbaijan’s contribution to the institutional progress of the Network, which had been established on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev.

First Deputy Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council Tariq Humaid Mattar Muhammad Al Tayer expressed pleasure with his visit to Azerbaijan and participation in the APA 15th plenary session. He commended Azerbaijan’s activities during its chairmanship of Asian Parliamentary Assembly as of vital importance for the region, describing the APA as a useful platform for the interaction amongst the Member States and for discussion of issues of significance for them.

The meeting also included discussions on other issues of shared interest.