Asaf Hajiyev

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PABSEC Participation in the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Madrid, 26-30 November 2021

Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, took part in the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in Madrid, on 26-30 November 2021 at the invitation of the Parliament of Spain (Cortes Generales).

The Assembly was attended by parliamentary delegations from 117countries, including 44 speakers and 33 vice-speakers of parliaments, also by representatives of international organisations. At the opening ceremony, participants were addressed by: King Felipe IV of Spain, Ms. Meritxell Batet, President of the Congress of Deputies, Mr. Ander Gilom, President of the Senate of Spain, and Mr. Duarte Pasheco, President of the IPU.

The participants debated on the main theme “Contemporary Challenges to Democracy: Overcoming Divisions and Building Community” and adopted the Madrid Declaration, which calls for a new approach to democracy with a renewed commitment to core democratic values, inclusiveness, and problem-solving. The Assembly also adopted a new IPU Strategy for 2022-2026, which aims to direct the IPU's work to combat climate change, strengthen democracy, ensure human rights and gender equality, establish peace and security, and achieve sustainable development.

Within the framework of the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the 32nd Session of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the IPU were held.

On the sidelines of the 143rd Assembly of the IPU, upon the initiative of the Azerbaijani Parliament, the Inaugural Meeting of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement was held, under the presidency of Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Chairperson of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The meeting underlined the potential contribution of the Parliamentary Network to the activities of the NAM and voiced the intention to hold the next meeting in Azerbaijan in 2022.

In his speech at the Inaugural Meeting, Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, briefly informed the participants about the activities of the PABSEC and called on the countries to resolve conflicts as soon as possible that have a detrimental effect on strengthening the economic cooperation and the development of the economic relations.

During the conversation between Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, and Mr. Mustafa Sentop, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the preparation for the celebration of the 30th PABSEC Anniversary, in the framework of the PABSEC Turkish Presidency in 2023, was discussed.

During the conversation between Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, and Mr. Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Committee on International Affairs, the framework of the State Duma PABSEC Presidency was discussed, as well as the preparations for the upcoming visit of the PABSEC Secretary General to Moscow, in December this year.

During the conversation between Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, Mr. Karim Darwish, Chairman of the Egyptian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Sergio Piazzi, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, were discussed the issues of resuming the cooperation between the Parliament of Egypt and the PABSEC, granting the PABSEC observer status to the Senate of Egypt, as well as the upcoming visit of the PABSEC Secretary General to the PAM headquarters in Naples.