Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan) Sahiba Gafarova met with members of the Czechia-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group as part of her official visit to the Czech Republic, Milli Majlis told APA.
There was an exchange of opinions about the relations between Azerbaijan and Czechia and their parliaments at the meeting.
Sahiba Gafarova was saying that that was her first visit to the Czech Republic as Chair of the Milli Majlis and expressed a confidence that the visits and meetings during it will have a benevolent effect on a continued expansion of the relations. The Speaker underlined the importance of reciprocal visits and a regular dialogue, saying that the relations between legislatures of tw states constituted a substantial part of the relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic. In particular, she stressed, further expansion of contacts between the friendship groups will facilitate the co-operation.
The leader of the Czechia-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Jan Kubik shared the impressions from his trips to Azerbaijan and, in particular, to the de-occupied Aghdam Province as well as the meetings held then. He also stressed the necessity of communicating truthful facts and information about our countries to the public, of broadening the connexions between our parliaments and of reciprocal visits.
Other matters of interest to both sides were talked about at the meeting as well.
Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova who is in the Czech Republic on an official visit currently has met with President of the House of Deputies of the Czech Parliament Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The President of the House of Deputies expressed satisfaction with the arrival of the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament to Czechia and underlined the importance of the co-operation between our legislative assemblies – not only between their speakers but also amongst their committees and friendship groups. The significance of the interaction between our legislatures in international organisations was underscored as well.
It was said at the meeting that Azerbaijan is an especially important exporter of gas to Europe. Also, as Ms Pekarová pointed out, Azerbaijan is the second most important supplier of oil to the Czech Republic. It was further said that there are sound opportunities for the development of relations in the energy, trade and economic areas, and that co-operation in the field of renewable energy is also one of the important interaction areas.
Saying that Azerbaijan had liberated her lands from the Armenian occupation all by herself and had then begun a large-scale reclamation of those lands relying only on her own devices and resources, the Chair of the Milli Majlis added that though it had been Azerbaijan that had suffered occupation, it had also been Azerbaijan that followed up the conclusion of the 44 days’ Patriotic War with an invitation to Armenia to sign a peace treaty on the basis of 5 principles of international law for the sake of lasting stability in the region. It is also Azerbaijan that is and has been taking great pains to attain peace.
Sahiba Gafarova informed Markéta Pekarová Adamová of the political and military provocations of Armenia, Armenia’s failure over the 3 years past to honour its assumed obligations, the anti-terrorist measures in Azerbaijan’s Garabagh Region and the outcomes of those measures. Speaker Gafarova emphasised that the measures had fully conformed to international law standards and there had been no civilian casualties. Mrs Gafarova stressed then that the mine threats posed by Armenia created hurdles to the restoration work afoot in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Once again, Sahiba Gafarova said that certain circles would accuse Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing but there was not a single factual evidence to that, which the UN missions that had visited the region had confirmed.
Azerbaijan wishes lasting peace in the region, Sahiba Gafarova remarked, adding that there were no obstacles of any manner for the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia to be signed. Azerbaijan is ready for peace, Sahiba Gafarova said.
President of the House of Deputies Marketa Pekarová Adamová voiced Czechia’s support for the peace talks and underlined the importance of ensuring constant peace in the region.