On January 22, Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, met with Radmila Shekerinska, NATO Deputy Secretary General.

Highlighting more than 30 years of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova underscored the Alliance’s crucial role in ensuring global peace and security.

The officials stressed the importance of the existing constructive political dialogue between Azerbaijan and NATO, noting that President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to NATO Headquarters, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s visit to Azerbaijan in 2024, as well as regular bilateral contacts, had given new impetus to the Azerbaijan–NATO partnership.

The meeting also highlighted Azerbaijan’s contribution to the Alliance’s energy security, noting that the country currently supplies natural gas to 10 NATO member states and two partner countries.

Sahiba Gafarova further emphasized Azerbaijan’s important transit role in the Middle Corridor, which contributes significantly to stability and cooperation in the region.

Touching upon the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis noted that Azerbaijan had restored its sovereignty under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and created new realities in the region. She added that Azerbaijan has been promoting the peace agenda and has taken consistent and practical steps to advance cooperation with Armenia following the Washington Summit.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska noted that the Alliance attaches particular importance to the development of relations with Azerbaijan and commended the close political dialogue between the two sides, expressing confidence in the further enhancement of these ties within the new Partnership Program. She also congratulated the Azerbaijani side on progress in the normalization process with Armenia.

The meeting also underscored the importance of relations between the Milli Majlis and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and reviewed prospects for future cooperation.