Baku: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev warmly received a delegation led by Richard Ra€š¬¦¡i, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, on May 13. The meeting highlighted the strengthening of bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Slovakia, focusing on interparliamentary relations and mutual cooperation.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, President Aliyev reminisced about his official visit to Slovakia last year and his previous discussions with Richard Ra€š¬¦¡i. He emphasized the importance of the ongoing development of interparliamentary relations, which are instrumental in expanding bilateral ties based on mutual respect, friendship, and partnership. The president described Ra€š¬¦¡i's visit, accompanied by a large delegation, as a testament to the solid partnership between the two nations.

Speaker Richard Ra€š¬¦¡i expressed his delegation's gratitude for the warm reception and felt honored to meet with President Aliyev. He appreciated the president's first official visit to Slovakia and recalled his own visits to Azerbaijan, including a visit to Shusha in 2022. Ra€š¬¦¡i mentioned his intention to visit Garabagh during his current trip to observe the ongoing restoration and construction efforts and the activities of Garabagh University in Khankendi.

In the meeting, Richard Ra€š¬¦¡i congratulated President Aliyev on the progress made in the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia. President Aliyev expressed his gratitude and highlighted the measures taken by Azerbaijan to strengthen peace, including the establishment of trade relations and the export of petroleum products to Armenia.

The discussions underscored the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Slovakia, praising the high level of political relations. The involvement of Slovak companies in the reconstruction of Bash Garvand village in Aghdam was highlighted as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

The meeting also covered cooperation within international interparliamentary institutions and explored expanding ties in various sectors, including economy, trade, energy, defense industry, education, humanitarian aid, modern technologies, culture, sports, tourism, and other areas. The upcoming launch of direct flights between Baku and Bratislava was noted as a significant step towards enhancing tourism and people-to-people connections.