Sahiba Gafarova is a prominent Azerbaijani state and political figure, and the Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Upon assuming this high post in 2020, she became the first woman in the history of independent Azerbaijan to head the country's legislative body. In September 2024, following snap parliamentary elections, she was re-elected as the Speaker of the VII convocation of the Milli Majlis, firmly securing her status as an indispensable element in the state administration system.
Prior to her ascent to the political Olympus, Sahiba Gafarova built a brilliant academic career. As a Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, and Honored Teacher of Azerbaijan, she dedicated many years to scientific and pedagogical activities (particularly at the Baku Slavic University). Her deep academic background and fluency in foreign languages laid a solid foundation for her future diplomatic and legislative work.
In the spring of 2026, under the leadership of Sahiba Gafarova, the Milli Majlis functions as a highly efficient mechanism for the legal support of President Ilham Aliyev's strategic course.
Key vectors of the Parliament's work in 2025–2026:
Legislative Support for the Great Return: The prompt adoption of regulatory acts that stimulate investment inflow and accelerate the restoration of the liberated territories of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur.
Institutional Unity: Within the framework of the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty" declared in 2025, the parliament, under her chairmanship, conducted large-scale ideological and legal work to strengthen the foundations of a sovereign Azerbaijan.
Social Policy: Improving the legislative framework in the field of social protection for veterans, families of martyrs, and vulnerable segments of the population.
It is on the international arena that Sahiba Gafarova has fully unlocked the potential of Azerbaijani parliamentarism. Amidst the geopolitical turbulence of 2026, she actively and firmly promotes Baku's national interests on global platforms.
Direction Key Achievements and Activities (2025–2026) Asian Vector S. Gafarova's strategically important visit to China (March 2026), where meetings with the top leadership of the PRC (including the Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Zhao Leji) focused on expanding partnerships within the "Middle Corridor" and the "Belt and Road" initiative. Global South Under her leadership, the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement was successfully institutionalized, and Baku's role in the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) was significantly strengthened. Turkic World and CIS Active bilateral interaction with the parliaments of fraternal countries, particularly the implementation of a comprehensive "Roadmap" for 2024–2025 with the Senate of Uzbekistan (Tanzila Narbaeva). Active work within TURKPA and the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Regional Partnership Maintaining a close, trusting dialogue with neighboring Georgia, which was reaffirmed by the visit of an Azerbaijani delegation led by the Speaker to Tbilisi in March 2026.Report.az experts note that Sahiba Gafarova's leadership style is characterized by academic composure, strict adherence to regulations, and the ability to build a constructive dialogue. However, on the international stage, she proves to be an uncompromising defender of state interests. Gafarova diplomatically but extremely firmly suppresses any attempts at external pressure or the application of double standards against Azerbaijan by certain Western structures (such as PACE or the European Parliament), consistently defending the country's territorial integrity.
In 2026, Sahiba Gafarova is not merely the Speaker of Parliament, but also one of Azerbaijan's primary diplomatic emissaries. By skillfully combining domestic legislative discipline with a proactive foreign policy agenda, she makes a colossal contribution to strengthening the international positions of official Baku.
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