The Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & International Monetary Fund (the Parliamentary Network) has today started in Baku`s Gulustan palace.
The Parliamentary Network is an independent non-governmental organization that provides a platform for more than 1,500 parliamentarians from 140 countries for cooperation to increase transparency and enhance accountability in the areas of development processes in their countries. The objective of the organization is to enhance the role of parliamentarians and civil society.
Addressing to the conference, President of the Parliamentary Network Alain Destexhe spoke of the organization`s activities and mission.
He praised dynamic economic growth in Azerbaijan. Destexhe hailed Azerbaijan`s efforts to reduce poverty. He described Azerbaijan as a “sustainably developing” country.
From the Azerbaijani side, the conference is organized by a non-governmental organization Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (AVCIYA).
Azerbaijani MP, AVCIYA`s President, member of the Parliamentary Network Elkhan Suleymanov raised awareness of the attendees of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its consequences for the region. Suleymanov said Armenia invaded 20 percent of Azerbaijan`s territories, and drove out one million Azerbaijanis from their homelands.
Addressing the event, WB Vice-President for external affairs Cyril Muller said Azerbaijan has great potential and demonstrates all the signs of economic growth.
The WB Regional Director for the South Caucasus Henry Kerala, the IMF Vice-President for External Relations Rhoda Weeks-Brown as well as representatives of the parliaments of different countries arrived in Baku to participate in the conference.
The Parliamentary Network provides a platform for parliamentarians from over 140 countries to advocate for increased accountability and transparency in International Financial Institutions and multilateral development financing. Founded in 2000, the Parliamentary Network seeks to engage law makers from around the globe in the common mission of addressing good governance and poverty challenges in both their home countries and abroad. Directed by a twelve-member Board elected by their peers, the Parliamentary Network is an independent non-governmental organization with a secretariat in Paris. The organization is open to all elected parliamentarians from World Bank member states that hold a current mandate. Parliamentary Network members represent themselves and their constituents, and not their countries, parliaments or governments.
(AZERTAC).