ISLAMABAD: A conference of the speakers of Pakistan, Türkiye and Azerbaijan, commencing on Sunday, will foster parliamentary cooperation among the three nations and provide a platform to deliberate on ways to promote sustainable peace, regional stability and shared prosperity.

Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will head the conference to be attended by Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Numan Kurtulmu and Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova along with their parliamentary delegations.

This trilateral engagement forms part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen inter-parliamentary dialogue and institutional collaboration among the three countries.

The series began in 2021 in Baku, where the first conference laid the foundation for enhanced parliamentary cooperation. The second conference, held in 2022 in Istanbul, reaffirmed the collective resolve to deepen institutional linkages and strategic coordination.

Building on the momentum of previous meetings, the Islamabad Conference will further consolidate parliamentary relations and develop a coordinated approach to address regional and global challenges.

Key agenda items will include discussions on the impacts of climate change, advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enhancing disaster resilience and management, safeguarding regional integrity and sovereignty, collective responses to external threats, and promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The conference reflects Pakistan’s firm commitment to parliamentary diplomacy, aimed at advancing peace, cooperation, and inclusive development across the region. It is expected to serve as a milestone in strengthening friendship, mutual trust, and shared aspirations among the three nations for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous future.

A speakers’ rxecutive meeting will be held before the plenary sessions to review progress on decisions taken during previous conferences and to finalize the agenda for the Islamabad meeting. The conference will adopt “Islamabad Declaration”, which is expected to chart a new course for strengthened trilateral parliamentary cooperation.

The speakers along with their parliamentary delegations will also visit Lahore and lay wreath on the mausoleum of Allama Mohammad Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2025