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By Trend

The taking of Zangezur from the rest of Azerbaijan and its adding to Armenia divided the great Turkic world geographically, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the 7th Summit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council) in Baku on Oct. 15.

“Having taken over chairmanship in the Turkic Council from Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan will make every effort in the coming period to strengthen the friendship and cooperation among our countries,” Ilham Aliyev said. “The common roots that connect us, our history, culture and national values are an important basis for mutually beneficial activities. The development of cooperation between Turkic-Speaking States is one of the priority areas of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.”

“The Seventh Summit of the Turkic Council coincides with the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Nakhchivan agreement,” the Azerbaijani president noted. “The summit of the heads of state held in the ancient Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan in October 2009 set up a new institutional format for cooperation among our countries. Zangezur is located between the main part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan region. The taking of Zangezur from the rest of Azerbaijan and adding it to Armenia divided the great Turkic world geographically. However, thanks to the decisions we made in Nakhchivan and our joint work, we have further strengthened the unity of the Turkic world and will continue our brotherhood. In this sense, the decision to set up the Turkic Council during the summit held in Nakhchivan is also of tremendous significance for the Turkic world.”

“Over the past 10 years, the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States as an organization has come a long way in development,” Ilham Aliyev added.

“The Council plays an important role in the development of cooperation among our countries in the political, economic, transport, humanitarian spheres, in the fields of tourism, information and communication technologies, etc. The relations of the Turkic Council with influential international organizations are expanding. Currently, fruitful cooperation is being maintained with such entities as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the OSCE, the Organization for Economic Cooperation. TURKSOY, the Fund for Turkic Culture and Heritage, the Turkic Academy. This plays an important part in studying our rich cultural heritage and promoting our material and cultural values in the world.”

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