Speaker of Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova Meets with NATO Deputy Secretary General

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan) Sahiba Gafarova met with a delegation led by NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska on January 22, Report informs.

At the meeting, the cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, which has continued for more than 30 years, was emphasized, and the Alliance's role in ensuring international peace and security was highly appreciated.

During the meeting, the importance of the existing continuous and substantive political dialogue between the parties was emphasized, noting that President Ilham Aliyev's visits to NATO headquarters, the visit of former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Azerbaijan in 2024, the negotiations and regular contacts have brought new dynamics to the partnership, and these steps were assessed as indicators of the intensity of political dialogue.

It was noted that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner for NATO that adheres to its commitments, and the country's activities in the Alliance's peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and its importance as a regional transport and logistics center were emphasized.

The meeting further highlighted Azerbaijan's contribution to the Alliance's energy security, noting that Baku currently supplies natural gas to 10 NATO member states and two partner countries, which is of particular importance at a time when energy security has become an integral part of national security.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis also emphasized Azerbaijan's important transit role in the Middle Corridor, noting that this makes a significant contribution to stability and cooperation in the region.

Sahiba Gafarova touched upon the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stating that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty and created new realities in the region. It was noted that it was Azerbaijan that took the peace initiative and took consistent and practical steps to advance cooperation with Armenia after the Washington Summit.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska stated that the Alliance attaches special importance to developing relations with Azerbaijan and highly values the close political dialogue between the parties, expressing confidence that these relations will deepen further within the framework of the new Partnership Program.

The conversation highlighted the importance of relations between the Milli Majlis and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and prospects for future cooperation were reviewed.