Baku, September 19, 2025 — The Europe Today: Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, took part in the opening ceremony of the 46th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) during her official visit to Malaysia.
In her address, Speaker Gafarova emphasized the growing importance of parliamentary diplomacy, noting that AIPA has evolved into a successful platform uniting parliaments and creating opportunities for closer cooperation.
She recalled that since 2022, Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis has been participating in AIPA forums as an observer, underscoring Azerbaijan’s determination to further strengthen its multifaceted relations with Southeast Asian nations, with inter-parliamentary dialogue forming an essential part of those ties.
Gafarova highlighted that the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM PN), established at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev and currently chaired by the Milli Majlis, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with AIPA in March 2023. This, she said, reflects Azerbaijan’s strong commitment to institutional cooperation and the pursuit of shared goals.
Outlining Azerbaijan’s strategic vision, the Speaker noted that inclusive development and sustainability remain national priorities, fully aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She also drew attention to the large-scale restoration and reconstruction projects underway in Azerbaijan’s liberated Karabakh and East Zangezur regions, stressing that the revival of these territories represents a key component of the country’s inclusive development and sustainability agenda.
