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Become a memberRussian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree awarding Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary Speaker Sahiba Gafarova the Order of Friendship for ‘her services in strengthening Russian–Azerbaijani relations’.
The Order of Friendship is a state decoration given to Russian citizens and foreign nationals who contribute to improving relations with Russia and its people.
Gafarova has held the position of parliamentary speaker since 2020, having been re-elected to the post in September 2024. Previously, she served as an MP, including as a part of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 2018–2020.
Azerbaijan suspended its participation in PACE in January 2024 after the body voted not to ratify the Azerbaijani delegation’s credentials due to the country’s human rights records.
It is not that unusual for high-ranking Azerbaijani officials to receive Russian state decorations and awards. In 2019, Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s wife, was awarded the Order of Friendship for ‘her services in developing and strengthening Azerbaijani–Russian relations’.
Other Azerbaijani holders of the same award include former Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov and First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov.
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