Following the death of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova, at the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev, traveled to Doha to attend the condolence and funeral ceremony. For this reason, she also did not attend the last meeting of the extraordinary session of the Milli Majlis.
This is not the first such ceremony Sahiba Gafarova has attended in recent years. Since 2020, she has represented Azerbaijan at the funeral and farewell ceremonies of various state and religious leaders.
In international diplomatic practice, the level of representation of countries at the funeral ceremonies of heads of state and government is determined depending on the status of the deceased, inter-country relations, other state events held on the same date, and diplomatic protocol.
When the head of state does not personally attend the ceremony, the country is usually represented by the speaker of parliament, prime minister, deputy prime minister, foreign minister, or a special representative of the President. The delegation conveys the condolences of the head of state to the family of the deceased and the country's leadership, and participates in the official farewell ceremony.
In recent years, Azerbaijan has also been represented at a number of such events by a delegation led by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova.
Modern.az has investigated the official funeral and farewell ceremonies attended by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, representing Azerbaijan.
Queen Elizabeth II – Great Britain (September 19, 2022)
On September 19, 2022, Azerbaijan was represented by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, at the state funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of Great Britain, held in London.
Heads of state and government from dozens of countries around the world, members of royal families, speakers of parliament, and heads of international organizations attended the ceremony held after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96. Sahiba Gafarova, who led the Azerbaijani delegation, also participated in the official reception given by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in honor of the heads of foreign delegations before the funeral ceremony.
Later, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis attended the state funeral ceremony in London and conveyed the condolences and respect of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the British side.
This was one of the first major international state funeral ceremonies attended by Sahiba Gafarova as Speaker of the Milli Majlis.
Pope Francis – Vatican (April 26, 2025)
On April 26, 2025, Azerbaijan was also represented by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, at the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis held in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
Sahiba Gafarova, who led the Azerbaijani delegation at the farewell ceremony of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic world, not only participated in the ceremony but also held a number of high-level meetings.
Within the framework of the visit, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. During the meeting, Sahiba Gafarova conveyed condolences on behalf of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding the death of Pope Francis, highly appreciating the deceased pontiff's contributions to world peace, interreligious dialogue, and the promotion of humanitarian values.
Ilia II – Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (March 22, 2026)
On March 22, 2026, an Azerbaijani delegation led by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, attended the funeral ceremony of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II in Tbilisi.
Ilia II, who died at the age of 93, was not only the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church but also considered one of Georgia's most influential religious and public figures.
The Azerbaijani delegation participated in the farewell and funeral ceremony held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, conveying the deep sorrow and respect of the Azerbaijani people to the Georgian people. Within the framework of the visit, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, conveyed condolences on behalf of President Ilham Aliyev to the Georgian leadership, the Georgian Orthodox Church, and the relatives of the deceased patriarch.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei – Former Supreme Leader of Iran (July 3–5, 2026)
On July 3, 2026, an Azerbaijani delegation led by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, traveled to Tehran to attend the farewell ceremony of the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
The delegation also included Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Prime Minister of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Jabbar Musayev. State and government representatives, speakers of parliament, officials, and religious leaders from various countries around the world attended the farewell ceremony.
Within the framework of the visit, Sahiba Gafarova met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. During the meetings, condolences were conveyed on behalf of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding the death of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
During the conversation, the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Iran, issues of mutual interest, and prospects for cooperation between the two countries were also discussed.
