Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 27 / Trend, S. Suleymanov /
Strengthening of inter-parliamentary relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will be discussed in Astana today at the Azerbaijani ambassador to Kazakhstan Zakir Hashimov's meeting with the Kazakh Senate Speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Hashimov told Trend the meeting is topical because of upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan on Nov. 7.
"The composition of the MPs will be renewed and therefore there is a need to preserve continuity of the previously-established inter-parliamentary ties," Hashimov said.
He recalled that the Friendship Group "Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan" was created and operates at the Azerbaijani Parliament.
Hashimov has already made an offer to the chairman of the Mazhilis (the Kazakh Parliament) Ural Mukhamedzhanov to hold meetings between the two countries' parliamentarians within this friendship group at least once every two months. He intends to make the same offer today to the Senate Speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The meeting with Tokayev may also discuss the Azerbaijani delegation's participation in the forthcoming OSCE summit in Astana in December, Hashimov added.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov are also planned to attend the summit.
In addition to the necessity of developing inter-parliamentary relations the ambassador noted the importance of the information bridge between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Information exchange between the media outlets of Astana and Baku would help to further strengthen bilateral ties, Hashimov said.
Hashimov is also planning to meet today with Kazakh News Agency Kazinform chairman Dauren Diarov to discuss this issue.