On January 31, Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis hosted a meeting with majority staff members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Samad Seyidov, Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Affairs and head of the working group on Azerbaijan–U.S. interparliamentary relations, shared his views on the history of Azerbaijan–U.S. relations, existing areas of cooperation and future development prospects. He emphasized that the determination to elevate relations to the level of strategic partnership is clearly reflected in the joint statements of the parties and in the practical steps taken.
Assessing the Washington summit, the committee chairman touched upon the working visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the United States in August last year, the negotiations held, the agreements reached and the documents signed during the visit. He noted that those agreements had elevated Azerbaijan–U.S. relations to a qualitatively new stage. He stressed that these documents, alongside strengthening bilateral cooperation, also play a special role in the context of the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace agenda and are regarded as an important step toward ensuring regional stability and enhancing cooperation.
The meeting highlighted the significance of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), noting that the implementation of this initiative with U.S. support would not only reshape Eurasia’s transport map but also make a significant contribution to deepening cooperation in the broader region.
During the meeting, the importance of repealing Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act with regard to Azerbaijan was also emphasized, noting that such a step would serve the development of bilateral relations, strengthen mutual trust and expand cooperation opportunities.
Head of the Milli Majlis Administration Farid Hajiyev provided the guests with detailed information about the powers of the parliament and the normative legal acts regulating its activities. He noted that the parliament’s work is structured in a consistent and systematic manner in the areas of discussing and adopting legislative initiatives, exercising parliamentary oversight and developing international interparliamentary cooperation.
Farid Hajiyev also touched upon the structure of the parliament, the country’s electoral system, the political parties represented in the parliament, and the activities of existing committees and commissions. The guests were also briefed on the laws regulating the activities of members of parliament, as well as on the legislative drafting process and the relevant procedural rules.
The US delegation, for their part, welcomed the recent positive dynamics in U.S.–Azerbaijan relations, noting with satisfaction that bilateral cooperation has deepened and interparliamentary dialogue has reached a new level. They stated that maintaining this positive momentum would serve the interests of both sides.
Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Affairs Nigar Arpadarai, as well as MPs Vugar Bayramov, Erkin Gadirli, Sevinj Fataliyeva and Gulshan Pashayeva, answered questions of interest to the guests, shared their views on the prospects of Azerbaijan–U.S. relations and emphasized that expanding interparliamentary dialogue would contribute to strengthening mutual trust and further developing bilateral relations.
The event was attended by Deputy Head of the Milli Majlis Administration Rustam Mahmudov, heads of structural divisions of the parliament, members of the U.S. diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan and other officials.
