On July 6 the Informal Summit of the Presidents of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), hosted by Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was held in Shusha, Azerbaijan. The following leaders participated in the meeting in the historic town of Shusha: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Cevdet Yılmaz, the Vice President of Türkiye, Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Ersin Tatar, the President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Secretary General of the OTS, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev.
Under the theme of “Building a Sustainable Future through Transport, Connectivity and Climate Action,” the Summit provided a vital platform for high-level discussions on key issues, as well as on the agenda of the OTS. The leaders of the member states engaged in a productive dialogue and made significant decisions, finalizing and endorsing documents, related to various projects of the OTS. The Heads of State adopted several important documents, among them the Garabagh Declaration which offers a comprehensive vision for future cooperation in the region. They also signed the decision to increase the staff and the budget of the Secretariat of the OTS, thereby strengthening the organizational capacity of the Organization. In his closing remarks, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to the attending leaders for their active participation and contributions.
The Council of Foreign Ministers of the OTS, under the chairmanship of Jeyhun Bayramov, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, also convened in Shusha prior to the Summit to finalize the items on the agenda, as well as the documents to be signed by the Heads of State. The above meeting was attended by Murat Nurtleu, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Jeenbek Kulubayev, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Bakhtiyor Saidov, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Péter Szijjártó, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, the Secretary General of the OTS.
The OTS Secretary General also provided updates on the recent activities and future developments within the Organization. The Foreign Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Secretariat for enhancing the international visibility of the OTS and strengthening the Organization. Thanks to the efforts of the Foreign Ministers, a productive summit was held, setting the stage for the successful adoption of the Garabagh Declaration and other significant agreements. The Foreign Ministers also signed a decision on the appointment of Ambassador István Vásáry as the Executive Director of the Representation Office of the OTS in Budapest.
On the margins of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State, the Ministers of Transport of the OTS countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding cooperation and the use of Electronic Permit (E-Permit) in International Road Transport Operations. The MoU establishes a legal framework for the E-Permit project, which is aimed at digitalizing and streamlining road transport procedures among the Turkic States. The project is expected to facilitate smoother border crossings, reduce administrative costs, and eliminate issues related to physical permits, such as loss or misuse. The E-Permit project represents a significant step towards digitalization in transport operations, enhancing transparency, accountability and efficiency in cross-border logistics and aligns with the broader goals of the OTS to foster transport connectivity in line with the “Turkic World Vision-2040”.
The OTS continues to be committed to strengthening the cooperation among its member states and promoting the stability, welfare and sustainable development of the region.
