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Elnur Enveroglu

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The 11th Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is taking place in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. Featuring the motto "Empowering the Turkic World: Economic Integration, Sustainable Development, Digital Future, and Security for All," the summit is expected to provide a vital platform for high-level discussions on the Organization's comprehensive agenda.

Hosted by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, the summit is attended by presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.

In addition, heads of state and government from OTS Observers and its Secretary General were not left out of the summit. With some hot discussion on key issues, the participants are looking to finalise agreements and approve official documents related to OTS projects in the fields of economy, trade, digital transformation, transport, and security.

The agenda of the 11th summit is as comprehensive as its discussions are multifaceted. Here, the economic and political problems of not only the regional states but also the observer states are kept in the foreground. In general, the structure of the OTC serves to strengthen mutual relations with all partners around it.

Azerbaijan, a key player in OTS

Being a sovereign Turkic state, Azerbaijan is a full member of the SCO. Therefore, the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the 11th SCO summit can be considered one of the important events.

It should be especially noted that strengthening relations with the Organization of Turkic States is one of the directions that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to. Undoubtedly, Azerbaijan sees this organization, which it created together with the brotherly Turkic republics, as its own family and proudly demonstrates its belonging to the great Turkic world. This was once again expressed in the words of President Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the inauguration ceremony on February 14, 2024. By saying, “For us, the OTS is the main international organization, because this is our family. We have no other family. Our family is the Turkic world,” President Ilham Aliyev sent a message to the world that Azerbaijan belongs to the great Turkic family, this family is strong, invincible and reliable, and that relations with Turkic states and organizations will be further strengthened and joint successful steps will be taken. This statement was also an expression of the strength and power of Turkic unity, an indicator of its unshakable character.

Throughout history, the Turks have been distinguished by their power, strength, and rich statehood traditions, and have been one of the world's most valuable civilizations. When we say Turkish civilization, we mean a civilization that has made countless contributions to the development of humanity, has an ancient culture, art, comprehensive science and knowledge, as well as robust strength. Turkish civilization, which has a unique place in the history of human civilization, has travelled a glorious path for centuries and reached its current level of development.

The Azerbaijani people, as an important part of the great Turkic world, are also very proud to benefit from the rich Turkish civilization with fundamental values and to make their own contribution to this civilization. Azerbaijan is interested in developing its relations with Turkic states in the highest form and becoming even closer to the single Turkic family and continues its activities in this direction successfully.

Azerbaijan's contribution to unity of Turkic world - Nakhchivan Agreement

Azerbaijan has always contributed to the close unity of the Turkic world and continues to take confident steps towards the unity of the Turkic world.

Certainly, the existence of close friendly and fraternal relations between the member countries of the OTS is one of the main factors determining the future development prospects of the organization. It is thanks to this that the Turkic States Organization is currently recognized as a reputable organization by the countries of the world, and the organization's prestige is increasing day by day with the close cooperation and joint efforts of the member countries.

In addition, the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States (CCTS) plays a fundamental role in the close integration of the organization. It should be noted that the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States was established based on the “Nakhchivan Agreement on the Establishment of CTS” signed by the Heads of State of the Turkic-speaking countries at the Summit held in Nakhchivan on October 3, 2009. In addition, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkiye are the founding members of the organization. In 2019, Uzbekistan also became a member of the CCTS. The signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement, which laid the foundation for the formation of the institutional structure of the Turkic states and brought them together for stronger integration, is of great historical and political importance. With this agreement, successful activities were launched towards further development of relations between the brotherly Turkic states in various fields and the creation of a single cooperation platform.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the OTS' activities. The organization, which is based on a common language, history, and traditions and gets stronger year by year, has made a significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Turkic-speaking states in various forms over the past period. It has accelerated integration between the states of the Turkic world as a whole and succeeded in establishing itself as an influential organization among international organizations. Currently, the OTS has become an effective cooperation platform where brotherly Turkic peoples proudly share their interests and values.

Values ​​that bind Turkic-speaking states: Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan relations

The development of bilateral relations with the Central Asian republics, including Kyrgyzstan, in all areas is one of the main priorities of Azerbaijan's foreign policy.

The historical, cultural, and religious commonalities existing between the Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz peoples form the basis for strengthening relations between the two countries.

The services of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in establishing and developing mutual trust in Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz relations are unmeasurable.

On August 27, 1995, the former President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev paid a visit to the capital of Kyrgyzstan. During the visit, the National Leader participated in the festivities held in Bishkek on the occasion of the thousandth anniversary of the Kyrgyz people's epic "Manas", as well as in the next Summit of the heads of state of Turkic-speaking countries.

With the political will and special attention of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, relations with Kyrgyzstan have now reached a high level of development and comprehensive cooperation relations have been formed in all areas. President Aliyev paid his first state visit to Kyrgyzstan on October 11-12, 2022.

In addition, the high-level personal relations between the President of Azerbaijan and the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, based on mutual trust and confidence, give a significant impetus to the development dynamics of these relations and play a special role in expanding cooperation. It is no coincidence that 6 mutual high-level visits have been carried out in the last 3 years.

The contractual and legal basis between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan is quite extensive. So far, 105 documents have been signed. The most important document among them is the “Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kyrgyz Republic”, signed during the official visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic to our country, and this document laid the foundation for strategic partnership relations between the two countries.

Azerbaijan also actively cooperates with Kyrgyzstan within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. In general, both states have traditionally always defended each other's interests in all international organizations.

In recent years, cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy and transport has further expanded. Currently, more than 70 Kyrgyz companies operate in Azerbaijan.

In 2022, the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund was established to promote economic cooperation, modernization of the economy, and effective use of opportunities.

In addition, cargo transportation is carried out between the two countries along the “East-West” International Transport Corridor and the “Asia-Pacific countries – China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Europe” international multimodal route and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

The high level of relations between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan has also contributed to the intensification of contacts between the two brotherly peoples. AZAL has been operating regular flights on the Baku-Bishkek-Baku route once a week since September 17, 2024.

The two brotherly countries are implementing projects mutually at the expense of their financial resources. With the financial support of our country, an Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan friendship park was built in Bishkek and a school building for 550 students was built.

With the financial support of the Kyrgyz side, a school building for 528 students is planned to be built in the liberated village of Khidirli in Aghdam. The groundbreaking ceremony of the school took place during the state visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan (April 24-25, 2024). Currently, construction work is ongoing.

It is no coincidence that during the 11th summit, the Chairmanship-in-Office will pass from Kazakhstan to the Kyrgyz Republic, and the signing of the Bishkek Declaration and several key resolutions by heads of sate are expected before the closing ceremony.