On June 29, 2026, a meeting was held at the Legal Aid Center of the Azerbaijan Bar Association (ABA) with experts from the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and the program manager of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) Joint Programme "Partnership for Good Governance" (Phase III), who are visiting Azerbaijan in connection with the implementation of the project "Promoting Mediation in Azerbaijan."

The meeting was attended by members of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan Bar Association, Vugar Babayev and Lala Nagiyeva, Deputy Head of the Bar Association's Secretariat Sattar Mammadov, as well as the CEPEJ delegation consisting of experts Rimantas Simaitis and Karim Salem, and Program Manager Leonid Antonih.

The representatives of the Azerbaijan Bar Association warmly welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of cooperation with the Council of Europe. They noted that the joint projects implemented in recent years have played a significant role in promoting legal reforms in the country, advancing the institution of mediation, and improving alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

During the meeting, the participants held a comprehensive and constructive exchange of views on the current state of mediation in Azerbaijan, the reforms implemented in this field, and future development prospects.

For their part, the CEPEJ experts and the Program Manager expressed their gratitude for the warm hospitality and highlighted that the productive cooperation established with the Azerbaijan Bar Association has made a valuable contribution to the effective protection of human rights and freedoms, enhancing the efficiency of the justice system, and further developing the institution of mediation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants discussed other issues of mutual interest and answered questions raised during the discussion.