Sahiba Gafarova chairs NAM Parliamentary Network meeting in Tanzania

A coordination meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM PN) has been held in Arusha, Tanzania, on the sidelines of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

According to Report, citing the Press and Public Relations Department of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis, the meeting was chaired by Speaker of the Milli Majlis and Chair of the NAM Parliamentary Network Sahiba Gafarova.

Following the adoption of the agenda, Gafarova said coordination meetings held alongside IPU assemblies were important for collective action and making maximum use of the platform.

She noted that such meetings created opportunities for constructive dialogue among member parliaments, further strengthening cooperation between them.

It was noted that the 5th Conference of the NAM Parliamentary Network was held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in April this year, alongside the 152nd IPU Assembly.

The five conferences held to date were described as confirmation of strong and sustained interest in the NAM Parliamentary Network, while the active participation of member parliamentarians was said to demonstrate firm confidence in the potential of interparliamentary cooperation to contribute to peace, justice and sustainable development.

In this context, it was noted that the NAM Parliamentary Network reflected a shared vision and collective commitment to strengthening parliamentary cooperation and solidarity in pursuit of these common objectives.

Gafarova said the Parliamentary Network continued to expand its reach and strengthen its international role.

She stressed that, as chair, she considered promoting the role and activities of the organization during foreign visits, bilateral meetings and participation in international conferences a priority, and provided information on steps taken in this direction.

Gafarova said developing institutional dialogue and strengthening cooperation with other organizations remained among the Parliamentary Network's key priorities.

She noted that the NAM Parliamentary Network currently holds observer status in six organizations, while eight organizations have been granted observer status within the Network.

She added that memorandums of understanding with partner organizations were also expanding the Network's participation in international cooperation. To date, the Parliamentary Network has signed 10 such memorandums, further strengthening its institutional partnerships and international reach.

Gafarova emphasized that these results should not be regarded as the achievements of a single chairmanship or parliament, but as the outcome of collective efforts.

She said they had been made possible through the valuable contributions of member parliaments, which shared ideas, sought solutions and worked together in a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity.

Gafarova noted that since the Network was established in Madrid in November 2021, five conferences had been held in Baku, Manama, Geneva, Tashkent and Istanbul in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.

She also highlighted the importance of decisions adopted at previous conferences and said each gathering had played a significant role in the institutional development of the Parliamentary Network.

The meeting then continued with discussions on the institutionalization process of the NAM Parliamentary Network.

Among those who spoke during the discussions were Chair of the Senate of Uzbekistan's Oliy Majlis Tanzila Norbaeva, Deputy Speaker of Venezuela's National Assembly Grecia Colmenares, Deputy Speaker of Morocco's House of Councillors Lahcen Haddad, Belarusian Council of the Republic committee chair Sergei Aleinik, Pakistani National Assembly Standing Committee Chair Syed Hafeezuddin, Egyptian House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sameh Shoukry, Tanzanian parliamentary committee chair Damas Ndumbaro, and other participants.

They shared their views on the issues under discussion.