Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Inter-Parliamentary Working Groups of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan has a close cooperation with the parliaments of foreign countries. Accordingly, the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic issued a decree on the establishment of the working groups on interparliamentary relations. Currently more than 60 working groups are functioning.

There are a number of working groups by the parliaments of some countries on cooperation with the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic. Currently our embassies are carrying out corresponding activities on the establishment of working groups on cooperation between the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan and the Parliaments of the foreign countries they are accredited in.

On Inter-parliamentary Union

The Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) is a worldwide organization of the parliaments of the independent states. It was founded in 1889.The headquarter of the organization is situated in Geneva.

The Republic of Azerbaijan became the member of the IPU at the 89th Assembly of the Organization held in Delhi, on April 12-17,1993.The delegation of 9 Milli Majlis members are represented at the IPU. Up to now the delegation participated in the IPU Assemblies held in Delhi, Madrid, Copenhagen, Bucharest, Istanbul, Peiking, Moscow, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva and Manila.

There are 6 geopolitical groups at the IPU: African, Arabian, Asian-Pacific Region, Eurasian, Latin American, and Plus 12(the list of the member states is added to the groups). There are three countries, which are not the members of any group. Our country became the member of the geo-political Plus 12 group during the 112th Assembly held in Manila on March 31- April 8,2005.The group consists of 44 member states.

The Azerbaijani delegation raised the issue on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict at the 91st Assembly held on March 21-26,1994.The issues on Interstate Conflicts and the Plight of Refugees and IDPs were suggested by our delegation as a topic of discussion in 2005, however, they were not accepted due to failure to get the necessary support during the discussions within the regional geopolitical groups.

Taking part in the meetings of the committees during the 111th Assembly held in Geneva beginning from September 28 till October 1, 2004 the Azerbaijani delegation gave information about the results of the conflict.

Relations with the ECPA

On January 24,1992 the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan addressed the Council of Europe with the request to get the status of "specially invited guest".

On June 28,1996 the ECPA Bureau made a decision to grant Azerbaijan the status of " specially invited guest". It should me mentioned that mutual exchange of visits was made between ECPA and Milli Majlis representatives and our parliamentarians took part in various meetings held within the frame of the ECPA prior to the grant of the above-mentioned status.

On the invitation of Leni Fisher, head of the ECPA, the delegation led by M. Aleskerov, Chairman (former) of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic participated in the seminar on the Caucasian issues held in Strasbourg, in January 1997.

After our country was granted the status of a specially invited guest, Lord Russell Johnson, Chairman of the ECPA (September 15-18,1999), J. Bommel and C. Clerfight, co-reporters of this organization on our country and other officials have visited Azerbaijan several times.

Finally, on January 17,2001 a decision on accepting the Republic of Azerbaijan as a full member of the Council of Europe was made at the meeting held on the level of the representatives of the EC Ministers Committee. So at the plenary session of the ECPA held on April 24-27, 2001 the Azerbaijani delegation to the ECPA for the first time participated as a full member.

The Azerbaijani delegation to the ECPA includes 6 main and 6 substitutive members. While forming the delegation, the division of political powers in Milli Majlis, as well as the principle of gender equality is taken into consideration as much as possible.

The ECPA has adopted a number of documents directly and indirectly related to our country, among which the following ones can be mentioned:

The declaration No 1047, in which the feeling of satisfaction is expressed on the cease-fire agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia (November 10,1994); Resolution No1119 which envisages the principles on inviolability of the borders related to the conflicts in Southern Caucasus, providing security via the mediation of the international peacekeeping forces in the conflict areas, a wide autonomy status for Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabakh after the negotiations with all the concerned sides, the rights of refugees and IDPs to return back to their lands( April 22,1997);Resolution No1416 confirming the fact that a considerable part of the Azerbaijani territories are still under the occupation of the Armenian forces and that any EU member state invading the territory of another EU member state rudely violates the obligations which that country undertook before the European Union and the Recommendation No 1690 demanding the withdrawal of the military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan (both documents were adopted on January 25,2005).

The Azerbaijani delegation to the ECPA is having constant consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on all the issues discussed within the frame of the ECPA and cooperates in collaboration for the maximum embrace of the interests of our country in the adopted documents.

European Union-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

7 meetings of the European Union-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee have been held up to now. The committee includes the members of the European Parliament and the deputies of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic. Moreover, the members of the MFA also take part in the meetings of the Committee. Declarations and Recommendations are adopted at the end of the meetings. The MFA and the Milli Majlis hold consultations for working out the conclusion variant of the Recommendation and Declaration.

The 7th, i.e. the latest meeting was held on February 13-14, 2006, in Strasbourg.