On October 21, a meeting is expected to take place between Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, and Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, within the framework of the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
It should be noted that the parties last met in April 2025 in St. Petersburg.
It is of interest what issues will be discussed during this meeting, as well as whether the issue of ratification of the peace document initialed at the August 8 Washington summit will be on the agenda.
Elman Nasirov, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties, told Modern.az that the meeting of the speakers gives dynamism to the peace process:
“Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, and Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, will meet in Geneva. Undoubtedly, contacts at the level of parliamentary speakers give dynamism to the peace process and serve the interests of its further advancement. On August 8, in Washington, the capital of the USA, with the participation and witness of President Donald Trump, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed a peace agreement. At the same time, the heads of state of Azerbaijan and Armenia adopted a joint statement with the participation of the US leader. This means that the peace process has advanced significantly. And very important steps are being taken towards advancing the peace agenda.”
In his opinion, it is not excluded that 2026 will be the year when the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agreement will be signed:
“In this regard, the meetings of the parliamentary speakers of Azerbaijan and Armenia also serve the same interest. We must ensure that the peace process becomes irreversible and that every subsequent step leads to the further enrichment of the peace agenda and, finally, to the conclusion of this process with a logical outcome. On July 7, 2026, parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia, and the organization of a referendum is expected thereafter. It is not excluded that territorial claims against Azerbaijan will be removed from the constitution.”
Regarding the ratification of the peace document, E. Nasirov said:
“If a peace agreement is signed, then, naturally, ratification in the parliaments of both states may become a necessity to ensure the longevity and strength of the peace agreement. Because when an agreement is ratified, the document's coefficient of strength increases and it acquires a more serious significance. Deputies are elected by the people. Therefore, this is also an indicator of the will of the people. Precisely for this reason, I believe that, yes, after the signing of the peace agreement, the ratification of the document in both parliaments will become a necessity.”
Fariz Ismayilzade, another member of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties, emphasized that the role of parliamentary diplomacy is very significant in the modern era:
“Meetings of speakers also play a very important role in establishing, expanding, and deepening bilateral cooperation. Considering that Azerbaijani and Armenian officials frequently meet within the framework of the peace agenda, bilateral relations strengthen, and trust is built, we can say that the meetings of the speakers can also make a very significant contribution to this process. If the referendum we expect takes place after the documents signed in Washington and the parliamentary elections to be held in Armenia next year, I believe that the meeting of the speakers will make a very significant contribution to this. Here, a great impetus will be given to the creation of mutual trust, the establishment of dialogue, and the discussion of cooperation.”
Regarding the issue of ratification of the initialed peace document in the parliaments of both countries, F. Ismayilzade said the following:
“No, generally, all Washington issues were discussed during the extraordinary session in parliament. The deputies also expressed their opinions and gave full support to Mr. President's foreign policy and, in general, to the peace agenda.”
