Azerbaijan Highlights Parliamentary Solidarity and Cooperation at OIC Meeting in Tanzania

Baku, The Gulf Observer: An Azerbaijani delegation led by Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova is in Tanzania on a working visit to participate in the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

As part of the visit, Gafarova attended a coordination meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where she highlighted the importance of strengthening solidarity and cooperation among parliaments of Muslim countries.

Addressing the meeting, the Speaker noted that the gathering was held under the chairmanship of the Azerbaijani Parliament, which assumed the chairmanship of the OIC Parliamentary Union following the successful 20th Conference held in Baku in June.

Gafarova said Azerbaijan’s chairmanship reflects the country’s commitment to strengthening solidarity and ties across the Muslim world. As President of the 20th Conference, she also highlighted the role of the organization in bringing together parliaments with diverse national experiences and perspectives around common principles of dialogue, solidarity and parliamentary cooperation.

She said Azerbaijan’s chairmanship is guided by the principles of peace, justice, solidarity, tolerance, human dignity, and sustainable and inclusive development.

The Speaker emphasized that countries representing diverse regional perspectives can work together through consultation, mutual respect and pursuit of common interests. She stressed the importance of strengthening regional voices in international parliamentary dialogue.

Gafarova also recalled her recent meeting with permanent representatives of OIC member states to the United Nations in New York, where discussions focused on ensuring that the priorities of OIC countries are better reflected in international decision-making processes.

Highlighting the extensive human, cultural and economic potential of the Muslim world, Gafarova noted that many societies continue to face serious challenges, including armed conflicts, forced displacement, poverty, climate-related pressures, terrorism, extremism and Islamophobia.

She stressed that addressing these challenges requires stronger practical cooperation among OIC member states and emphasized that parliamentary perspectives should not only be represented in international institutions but should also contribute substantially to shaping international priorities and decisions.