Azerbaijan speaker meets Palestinian prime minister in Baku

Speaker of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on July 16 during his official visit to Baku, the parliament said.

During the meeting, Gafarova highlighted the friendly relations and mutual respect between Azerbaijan and Palestine, noting that the two countries are united by shared religious, moral and family values, as well as longstanding ties between their peoples.

She emphasized the importance of high-level visits in strengthening bilateral relations and expressed confidence that Mustafa's visit would further deepen cooperation between the two sides.

Gafarova reaffirmed Azerbaijan's principled position on the Palestinian issue, saying the country has consistently upheld this stance within international organizations.

The speaker also stressed the importance of interparliamentary cooperation, noting that Azerbaijan's parliament works closely with the Palestinian National Council both bilaterally and through international parliamentary organizations, including 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.

The sides also discussed opportunities to expand humanitarian cooperation, particularly in education and culture. Gafarova welcomed the presence of Palestinian students studying in Azerbaijan and praised the opportunities provided through the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant Program.

Mustafa thanked Azerbaijan's government, parliament and people for their continued political, diplomatic and humanitarian support for Palestine. He said his meetings with Azerbaijan's president and prime minister reflected the strong backing of the country's leadership, which, he added, would not be forgotten by the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian prime minister also reaffirmed his country's commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution and praised Azerbaijan's contribution to international peace initiatives.

Mustafa said there was significant potential to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, education and humanitarian fields. He also highlighted Azerbaijan's support for school construction projects in Palestine and emphasized the importance of further strengthening interparliamentary ties.

Concluding the meeting, Mustafa expressed admiration for Azerbaijan's rapid development and wished the Azerbaijani people peace, prosperity and continued success.