The 10th anniversary summit of
the Organization of Turkic States was held in Astana today. Kazakh President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev greeted with particular warmth the heads of state who
arrived in Kazakhstan, the ancestral homeland of the Turkic peoples, to
participate in the meeting. First of all, President Tokayev drew attention to
the fact that the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, created on the
initiative of Kazakhstan, has become a full-fledged international organization
that interacts with global powers as equals.
“The Turkic World Vision 2040 document
was approved by the Heads of State at the 8th Summit of the Organization of
Turkic States. Most importantly, we strengthened the unity of brotherly
countries and demonstrated commitment to our common values to the whole world,”
said the Kazakh President.
Kazakhstan will chair the
Organization of Turkic States under the motto ‘TURKTIME!’ This is an acronym
for the eight priorities that will be focused on, including reforms,
investment, mediation and unification. As part of the latter, the Head of State
called on the member states to streamline standards. The initiative will pave
the way for free export of goods and 1.5 times increase in trade turnover. It bears
noting that this year the trade between the member states has totaled $22
billion. Investments are also important for the countries. The Turkic
Investment Fund will make its contribution, and Astana will be given the status
of the Financial Center of the Turkic World. The OTS member states supported
the initiative. Changes will affect the organization as well.
“Recently, there has been
increased interest in our organization from international and regional
structures. We support the initiative to grant observer status to the Economic
Cooperation Organization. In addition, we propose to establish cooperation with
the Islamic Organization for Food Security,” noted the Kazakh leader.
According to the Head of State,
amid unstable international situation, it is important to further strengthen
the unity of the Turkic peoples. President Tokayev proposed to conclude an agreement
on joint fight against crime. Enhancing the role of mediation is a pressing
task, as noted by President Tokayev. The Head of State announced that Kazakhstan
will provide humanitarian aid in the amount of $1 million to the Palestinian
people.
“We call for any conflicts to be
resolved solely through peaceful negotiations and diplomatic dialogue.
Preserving the territorial integrity of all states and non-interference in
their internal affairs are our key priorities. It is important to strictly implement
the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council as well as to respect
the norms of international law,” added the Head of State.
At the summit, a number of
documents, including the Astana Act, the Declaration, the Roadmap for Implementation
of the Transport Connectivity Program and others were signed. It is noteworthy that
the next OTS meeting will be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2024.
