Geneva, March 26, AZERTAC

Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia Ana Brnabic on the sidelines of the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva.

They commended the current state of high-level relations between the two countries, noting the progress in political and economic cooperation, as well as collaboration in various other domains.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova emphasized that the excellent relations between the heads of state have significantly contributed to the strengthening of friendship between the two countries and their peoples. She further emphasized that these positive relations persist successfully between the two legislatures. Recalling fondly her own official visit to Serbia, Sahiba Gafarova said that the meetings and discussions held during the trip had contributed to the expansion of ties between the two countries’ legislative bodies. The sides also exchanged views on expanding cooperation between friendship groups and among parliamentary committees.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Serbia extended her congratulations on President Ilham Aliyev’s resounding victory in the snap presidential election held in Azerbaijan, noting that the Serbian monitoring mission had observed the ballot conducted in a free and democratic manner. She expressed Serbia's interest in further expanding relations with Azerbaijan across various areas. Ana Brnabic highlighted the significant role played by bilateral inter-legislature links in the ongoing deepening of connections between the two countries.

Both speakers criticized the double standards evident in the international relations system, including within international organizations such as the PACE. They agreed that such circumstances contradicted the goals and mission of the PACE.

Additionally, they discussed the importance of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Serbian side extended congratulations to Azerbaijan for its forthcoming hosting of this significant event.

It was also noted that, in protest against the refusal to affirm the credentials of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the PACE, the Parliament of Serbia had appealed to the Organization’s leadership for a reversal of that decision. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova expressed gratitude to the Serbian side for taking this action.

They also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.