Speaker of Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova Meets with Minister of State Internet-Information Office of People’s Republic of China

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with the delegation visiting in our country and led by Minister of the State Internet-Information Office of the People’s Republic of China Zhuang Rongwen.

Satisfaction was expressed at the meeting with the high-standard advancement of the links between Azerbaijan and China, which links have risen to the stage of strategic partnership. The special role of the Heads of State in the progress of the inter-state relations resting on friendship and principles of mutual respect and mutual support was emphasised as well; they praised highly the expansion – alongside the energetic political dialogue – of economic, trade, green-energy, IT, innovations and artificial-intelligence co-operation.

As the meeting went on, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova recalled with content her participation in the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia last month and lauded the meeting on the conference margins with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Zhao Leji in terms of inter-parliamentary connections. She mentioned the exchange of views upon expansion of the co-operation along new vectors that had been held at the talks.

Information was also presented during the conversation about the digital transformation policy being implemented in Azerbaijan. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis let it be known that a consistent policy for forming a state digital architecture has been carried into life upon the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev over the past years. The significance of the consultative meeting titled ‘Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture’ and held in February this year was high-lit in this context. It was stated that the policy in implementation encompasses critical infrastructure deployment, digital economy expansion and application of innovative solutions within the state governance system. It was further said that the Milli Majlis, too, is contributing dramatically to the formation of the relevant and modern legislative framework in its turn. Besides, flexible employment of information technologies in the work of the Parliament, co-operation in cybersecurity and the work being done to accelerate the implementation of solutions in the field of artificial intelligence were all mentioned in the conversation.

It was also stressed at the meeting that cybersecurity is a national security component in the modern epoch and that this area must constantly be kept in focus.

Minister of the State Internet-Information Office of the People’s Republic of China Zhuang Rongwen mentioned the immense importance that his country attaches to equitable and mutually advantageous co-operation with Azerbaijan.

The guest told in detail about China’s achievements in information technologies over the past years, adding that his country was prepared to broaden co-operation with Azerbaijan in such areas as the Internet, cybersecurity, digital economy and artificial intelligence as well as other important fields. Commending highly the relevant work afoot in Azerbaijan as well as the Internet accessibility for over 90 per cent of the population of the country, the guest remarked that the results obtained in that area gave rise to satisfaction.

The parties said during the conversation of their confidence that the relations between Azerbaijan and China, which are based on true friendship and mutual respect, will continue developing in all the areas for the good of the peoples.