As part of her official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova met with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed confidence that the visit would contribute to the further deepening of interparliamentary relations between the two countries.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova expressed her gratitude for the warm hospitality and conveyed greetings from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. In response, the UAE President asked that his greetings be relayed to President Ilham Aliyev.

During the meeting, the sides noted the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates in political, economic, and other fields, and emphasized the ample opportunities for expanding these ties.

The active political dialogue and consistent high-level contacts between the heads of state were cited as key drivers of bilateral cooperation. It was noted that the strategic direction defined by the leaders of both countries has paved the way for further development across multiple sectors, with bilateral relations now elevated to the level of strategic partnership.

Both parties expressed satisfaction with the steadily growing interparliamentary ties, which are a vital component of the broader bilateral relationship. Speaker Gafarova noted that this visit marked her first to the UAE as head of the Milli Majlis, and briefed the President on the meetings held during her trip. She highlighted the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Federal National Council of the UAE, describing it as a solid foundation for further strengthening parliamentary cooperation.

The conversation also covered effective collaboration between the legislatures both bilaterally and within international parliamentary platforms. Close cooperation and mutual support were highlighted within such organizations as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement initiated by President Ilham Aliyev.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan underscored the important role of parliamentary relations in the overall framework of bilateral ties, emphasizing that deeper cooperation in this area would foster closer ties between the two nations.

The meeting also stressed the importance of humanitarian cooperation, particularly in education, science, and culture. The organization of reciprocal cultural events and stronger ties between cities and regions were noted as means of further strengthening people-to-people connections.

The discussions concluded with an exchange of views on a range of other issues of mutual interest.

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