During her official visit to Bahrain, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Chairman of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam on January 25.

Chairman Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam expressed Bahrain's profound interest in advancing relations with Azerbaijan, noting the Kingdom’s commitment to consistently and purposefully expanding cooperation in the political and economic spheres, as well as within the framework of international organizations.

Expressing her gratitude for the hospitality, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova noted that this marks her first official visit to Bahrain in her capacity as Speaker, occurring on the significant 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. She emphasized that the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Bahrain last year has transitioned bilateral ties into a new developmental phase. It was further noted that the Speaker’s participation in the 16th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly during this visit serves as a vital contribution to broadening inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The meeting highlighted the essential role of political dialogue and high-level consultations in deepening the partnership, noting favorable opportunities for growth in trade, investment, tourism, and education. Regarding humanitarian ties, the Speaker pointed to the high-level organization of the “MAMA – Mother Nature” exhibition in Manama last year during the visit of Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva as a prime example of the strong cultural relationship between the two countries.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova praised the successful collaboration within international and regional bodies such as the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement, expressing appreciation for Bahrain’s support of Azerbaijan’s rightful position on these platforms. Underscoring the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, she lauded the active cooperation between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Bahrain both bilaterally and within the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network. She specifically noted that Azerbaijan supported Bahrain’s candidacy for the chairmanship of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and expressed satisfaction that the leadership is being transferred to the Bahraini side.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on other matters of mutual interest.