Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in an
informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest. He
noted that the summit reflects the interests and strategic goals of the Turkic
world countries, which seek to strengthen cooperation. Kazakhstan is already
taking concrete steps in this direction. In particular, a permanent
representative of the country has been appointed to the OTS, and a permanent
mission is expected to open in the near future.
«On June 11–12, Astana will host the 14th plenary session of
the Turkic States Parliamentary Assembly. This year, the city of Aktau has been
declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world, and specific initiatives are
already being implemented as part of this honorable mission. At Kazakhstan’s
initiative, a consultative platform of electoral bodies was established last
week, with its inaugural meeting successfully held in the ancient city of
Turkistan. With the agreement of all parties, starting in June, Almaty will
become the youth capital of the OTS. In this way, we are actively working to
strengthen Turkic unity,» Tokayev said.
Strengthening partnerships is especially important amid the
transformation of global trade. President Tokayev called the turning of the
Middle Corridor into a transport link between East and West a strategic goal.
Kazakhstan is already taking steps to digitalize border procedures with the Kyrgyz
Republic and Uzbekistan, simplify transit, and modernize logistics
infrastructure, including the opening of a third railway checkpoint on the
border with China. He called on the OTS member states to jointly implement
major projects to strengthen the position of the Turkic region as a key transit
hub.
«It is necessary to boost trade between our countries and
expand the range of traded goods. Last year, Kazakhstan’s trade volume with its
partners within the Organization reached $11.4 billion, accounting for 8% of the
country’s total foreign trade turnover. This is a good figure, but there is
potential for further growth. In this regard, I propose developing a special
document focused on trade development,» Tokayev added.
The potential of the Organization should also be utilized to
diversify supply chains for oil, gas, and uranium, according to President
Tokayev. The Head of State also identified digitalization and information
technologies as promising areas for cooperation. Regional connectivity will be
significantly enhanced by the fiber-optic cable across the Caspian Sea, the
laying of which has already begun. Following the summit, the heads of state
adopted four documents, including the Budapest Declaration of the Organization of
Turkic States and a Decision on Uzbekistan’s accession to the Turkic Culture
and Heritage Foundation.
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