Sahiba Gafarova: Results of Middle East Peace Summit to bring lasting peace to region

Speaker of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova presided over the Coordinating Meeting of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) held in Geneva, Swiss Confederation, as part of her working visit to participate in the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Report informs via AZERTAC.

In her remarks, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova emphasized the important role of such meetings in expanding cooperation and coordination on key international issues of shared interest. She noted that the coordinating meetings provide an excellent platform to fully utilize the APA's significant potential for discussing and exchanging views on pressing global matters, which is particularly crucial in these sensitive times.

The Speaker underlined that next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, which over the years has evolved into an important platform for interparliamentary cooperation, constructive dialogue, and solidarity. According to her, the Assembly brings together the parliaments of its member countries under one umbrella, amplifies their collective voice, and contributes to achieving common goals.

Informing the participants about the activities carried out since Azerbaijan assumed the chairmanship of the organization in 2024, Sahiba Gafarova noted that efforts have been made to strengthen cooperation and dialogue within the Assembly. "Azerbaijan has identified several priorities aimed at enhancing joint work - including the development of the APA's institutional capacity, the expansion of its membership, and the improvement of the efficiency of its existing bodies.

During this period, the organization's membership has expanded. The Majlis A'Shura of the Sultanate of Oman became a full member of the APA, while the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus obtained observer status. The number of international organizations granted observer status also increased, with the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments joining as an observer."

The Speaker also noted that, during Azerbaijan's chairmanship, a consensus was reached on forming the APA's budget - an important step toward further strengthening and building the capacity of the Assembly.

Highlighting the scale of the global challenges faced today, Sahiba Gafarova stated that these issues cannot be resolved without collective action and joint efforts - as once again demonstrated by the recent ceasefire agreement reached on Gaza. She expressed hope that all stages of the agreement would be properly implemented and that the outcomes of the Middle East Peace Summit would contribute to achieving a just and lasting peace in the region.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova also recalled that the APA chairmanship will be transferred to the Kingdom of Bahrain next year, expressing confidence that under Bahrain's leadership, the Assembly will continue to strengthen interparliamentary cooperation across Asia and contribute to promoting peace, solidarity, and sustainable development in accordance with shared goals.

The meeting then continued with discussions on the items of the agenda.