On 30 August 2024, the SCO Observer Mission began monitoring the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Azerbaijan, which were scheduled for 1 September.
The Mission’s Head, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Nuran Niyazaliyev, met with Chair of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan Mazahir Panakhov.
Nuran Niyazaliyev noted that the SCO representatives were monitoring elections in Azerbaijan for the fourth time, at the invitation of the Central Election Commission and the Foreign Ministry. He discussed the line-up of the Mission, its goals and tasks, emphasising that the Mission would monitor the elections in an objective, neutral and unbiased manner, in accordance with SCO key tenets.
Mazahir Panakhov thanked the SCO representative for sending a large delegation to Azerbaijan. He noted the close interaction between Azerbaijan and SCO member states and shared details of the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
On the same day, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Nuran Niyazaliyev met with Aide to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department at the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev.
The officials discussed the prospects of expanding cooperation between the SCO and Azerbaijan in various spheres. They praised the results of the SCO Heads of State Meeting and the SCO + Summit in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan (3-4 July 2024). Nuran Niyazaliyev thanked the Azerbaijani side for inviting the SCO Secretary-General to the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29).