The Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, is on a business visit to the Swiss Confederation. Within the framework of the visit, the Speaker of the Parliament delivered a speech at the University of Geneva on the topic “The role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening peace, dialogue, and sustainable development.”
elchi reports that the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis released information regarding this.
In her speech, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova noted that parliamentary diplomacy plays an important role in strengthening peace, dialogue, and cooperation in international relations. She stated that parliaments are an important platform for managing disagreements through discussion, rules, and responsibility rather than confrontation. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis said that parliaments are provided with significant opportunities to overcome existing disagreements between countries, better understand the other side’s position, and continue dialogue.
She stated that parliamentary diplomacy is carried out in various forms, including meetings of parliamentary leaders, mutual visits of delegations, inter-committee cooperation, and participation in regional and global parliamentary forums.
Emphasizing that parliamentary diplomacy is of particular importance during periods of tense relations, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis said that in such situations, parliaments contribute to maintaining ties and continuing communication between the parties. The Speaker said that although dialogue may not solve all problems immediately, complete silence and the severance of ties can lead to further escalation of tension. She noted that parliamentarians have the opportunity to resolve mutual misunderstandings, explain concerns, and identify common points where discussion can continue.
Sahiba Gafarova characterized dialogue as the factor forming the basis of parliamentary diplomacy in her speech. It was noted that true dialogue involves not only expressing positions but also listening to the other side, understanding the concerns behind their position, and building mutual trust.
She emphasized that the concept of peace is not limited to the end of conflict and violence. The Speaker of the Parliament stated that for sustainable peace, it is essential to ensure functional institutions, fair opportunities, social welfare, and people’s confidence in the future. In this regard, peace and sustainable development are closely linked.
Noting that sustainable development creates an important foundation for strengthening peace, Sahiba Gafarova stated that inequality, unemployment, social exclusion, and weak institutions reduce trust in society and lead to instability. She said that parliaments contribute to solving these problems by using the tools at their disposal.
The Speaker noted that inter-parliamentary cooperation serves to build trust between countries. It was stated that parliamentarians can expand cooperation opportunities by exchanging experiences, discussing ways to solve problems faced by different countries, and benefiting from each other’s experience.
The Speaker of the Milli Majlis stated that parliamentary diplomacy makes an important contribution to the continuation of dialogue and cooperation even when there are disagreements between countries. By exchanging experiences, parliamentarians can learn from each other, resolve misunderstandings, and build mutual trust. This cooperation is of great importance not only in bilateral relations but also on regional and global platforms.
She noted that for ensuring sustainable peace, not only political agreements but also people’s security, opportunities, social welfare, and trust in state institutions are important. Parliamentary diplomacy creates opportunities for dialogue, and dialogue creates conditions for strengthening peace. Therefore, international cooperation of parliaments is one of the important tools for peace and sustainable development.
Concluding her speech, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, stated that it is not correct to measure parliamentary diplomacy only by major agreements. The Speaker noted that parliamentary diplomacy also shows its importance in preventing the deepening of crises, resolving misunderstandings, and maintaining relations during difficult times.
