Azerbaijan, Ethiopia Discuss Expansion of Parliamentary Cooperation

Baku, The Gulf Observer: Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova held a meeting with Speaker of Ethiopia’s House of Peoples’ Representatives Tagesse Chaffo during her visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Tagesse Chaffo highlighted Ethiopia’s strong interest in further strengthening relations with Azerbaijan, noting that Sahiba Gafarova’s visit would contribute to the expansion of cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Sahiba Gafarova said that her visit reflects the importance Azerbaijan attaches to its relations with Ethiopia and expressed confidence that parliamentary ties would continue to develop.

During the meeting, the sides recalled the visits of Ethiopian President Taye Atske Sellassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Azerbaijan, as well as their discussions with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

The officials also highlighted the significance of the January 2026 visit to Ethiopia by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, describing it as an important step in strengthening humanitarian and cultural links between the two nations.

The two sides noted that Azerbaijan and Ethiopia have broad opportunities to expand cooperation in tourism, business, mutual investment, culture, and humanitarian fields.

They emphasized that the successful implementation of Azerbaijan’s ASAN Khidmet model in Ethiopia represents a tangible example of bilateral cooperation and serves as a symbol of Azerbaijan’s contribution to the country’s development.

The meeting also included a comprehensive exchange of views on further strengthening interparliamentary relations.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova invited Tagesse Chaffo to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, which the Ethiopian Speaker accepted with gratitude.

The officials stressed the significant potential for enhancing cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, particularly through reciprocal visits by parliamentary speakers and members of friendship groups.

They also expressed interest in expanding cooperation between parliamentary committees and administrative bodies.

Tagesse Chaffo informed that Ethiopia is currently undertaking legislative reforms and said his country attaches great importance to benefiting from Azerbaijan’s experience in this field.

The two speakers further underscored the importance of continued cooperation within international platforms, including the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, and other international organizations.