BAKU, July 16, 2026 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa met today in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, with Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova and briefed her on upcoming steps to address current financial and political challenges and renew the democratic process.
During the meeting, Mustafa reviewed the practical steps ahead, referring to the presidential decree issued by President Mahmoud Abbas setting the date for legislative elections for Saturday, November 28, 2026. He said the elections aim to renew political legitimacy and ensure the participation of all citizens in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Mustafa invited the Azerbaijani National Assembly to send an official parliamentary delegation to observe the elections, ensure their transparency, and provide parliamentary support and cooperation to help make the democratic process a success.
In another context, the Prime Minister briefed the Azerbaijani parliament speaker on the severe financial crisis facing the State of Palestine as a result of Israeli policies. He stressed the danger of Israel's continued withholding of Palestinian clearance funds and the illegal deduction of portions of these funds, which undermines the ability of government institutions to meet their obligations toward the Palestinian people.
He also highlighted Israeli measures, including military checkpoints, daily incursions into Palestinian areas, and terrorist attacks by colonists against Palestinians and their property.
Mustafa also briefed Gafarova on the escalating suffering experienced by Palestinians as a result of the continued Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the Israeli occupation authorities' obstruction of the entry of humanitarian, medical, and relief aid, which is deepening famine and health crises.
For her part, Gafarova stressed that sustainable stability in the Middle East can only be achieved through intensifying efforts to achieve comprehensive and just peace based on ending the occupation and applying the principles of international justice and international law, to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and realize the establishment of their independent state.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Finance and Planning Stefan Salameh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Ambassador Omar Awadallah, and the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Azerbaijan, Ahmad Metani.
T.R.
