Baku, February 19, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Speaker of the Republic Council of the National Assembly of Belarus, Natalya Kochanova, emphasized the enduring and time-tested nature of relations between Belarus and Azerbaijan during her meeting with Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, in Baku.
During their discussions, Speaker Gafarova expressed her appreciation for Kochanova’s participation in the 15th session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA). She highlighted the strong foundation of sincerity, trust, and friendship that defines bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Belarus.
Gafarova underscored the pivotal role of high-level relations between the heads of state of both countries in strengthening cooperation. She noted that reciprocal visits and the signing of over 170 agreements had significantly contributed to advancing bilateral ties. The Azerbaijani Speaker also recalled her official visit to Belarus last year, during which she engaged in productive discussions with Belarusian officials.
Regarding parliamentary cooperation, Gafarova remarked that granting Belarus observer status at the APA would enhance multilateral engagement. She also elaborated on the activities of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, an initiative led by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and addressed concerns over the unjust stance of certain entities toward Azerbaijan ahead of the country’s hosting of COP29.
For her part, Kochanova reaffirmed Belarus’s support for Azerbaijan’s full restoration of sovereignty, noting that this development was welcomed positively in her country. She also pointed out that the elections held in both Azerbaijan and Belarus in the past two years reflected strong public endorsement of their respective leaderships.
The meeting concluded with both sides exchanging views on a range of issues of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to further deepening diplomatic and parliamentary cooperation.
