Azerbaijani President proposes setting up a TURKSOY fund

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev proposed setting up a TURKSOY fund. He made this statement speaking at the 9th summit of the Turkic-speaking countries` Heads of State in Nakhchivan, AzerTAj state news agency reported.

"We need to boost TURKSOY`s activities in future. We propose setting up a TURKSOY fund that would deal with restoring historic monuments across all Turkic states and lands", said  Ilham Aliyev.

Opening the summit, President Ilham Aliyev welcomed all the guests, expressing confidence that the Nakhchivan summit will further strengthen the unity of the Turkic-speaking countries.

"Today`s summit is a very remarkable event. I believe it will produce beautiful results, we will have an effective work and decisions we'll adopt will strengthen our unity", said the President
 
Azerbaijani President noted the high level of relations between the summit participant states, noting their proximity in historical and cultural aspects.

"I am sure that in future our unity will become even stronger. We have all opportunities to do this. Our countries enjoy high-level relations on a bilateral format, and we also have a strong political dialogue. We cooperate within international organizations. Our countries support one another in the United Nations, Organization of the Islamic Conference, OSCE and other organizations", he said.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his desire to develop trade relations between the Turkic-speaking countries.

"We want very much that our economic relations develop at a more rapid pace. We have good opportunities for this. Our economies supplement one another. They are not in competition, and this is very important. New economic projects will, surely, bring us closer to one another... We need to increase trade among our countries as we cannot be satisfied with the current level of our trade relations. We want to implement joint investment projects...", said the President.

Ilham Aliyev also mentioned the need for the development of humanitarian ties between the Turkic-speaking countries, highlighting the role of the organization TURKSOY in this process.

"We have good prospects for humanitarian cooperation as well. However, we need to boost it as our cultures are closely tied up together. In this respect I would like to praise the work of TURKSOY", he said

President Ilham Aliyev expressed satisfaction that the large projects initiated by the summit's participants are efficient.

"It is with great pleasure that we say that initiatives by our countries, large-scale projects underway yield fruits. Cooperation that we`ve built in the energy sector is a vivid evidence of our friendship, and, at the same time, is a successful result of regional cooperation. Azerbaijan and Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - we all enjoy successful cooperation in the oil and gas sector... Once a myth, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has already been operational for three years, bringing benefit to the whole region. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline is another triumph of us. Today Azerbaijan exports its oil and gas resources to European and world markets through very important routes", he noted.
 
Ilham Aliyev said that signing of agreements between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan create conditions for a diversified supply of oil and gas resources of Kazakhstan to world markets via Azerbaijan.

"Yesterday Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed very significant agreements, creating beautiful conditions for transportation of Kazakhstan`s oil and gas resources to the world markets through diversification via Azerbaijan. This is what we are all interested in. We all want our economies to be diversified, and it represents huge significance both for oil and gas producing countries, transit countries, and consumer countries," said the President.

Speaking about cooperation in the field of transport, Ilham Aliyev noted the benefits of such projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and the new Silk Road for the Turkic-speaking countries.

"We are also working on concrete projects in the field of transport - we are continuing our cooperation in the Caspian Sea, and, at the same time, construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is successfully underway. Its completion will open a new, very important route between Europe and Asia. We, in some way, are restoring the Silk Road. Of course, these projects require huge investments and big political will. And we have both investment opportunities and also political will. In short, these projects will bring us closer to one another and give our countries additional financial resources, creating wonderful opportunities for ensuring peace, stability and security in the region. And this is what we want to achieve", he said.

The President reminded of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, noting that despite the seizure of its lands Azerbaijan continues to evolve.

"Azerbaijan has been rapidly developing in all spheres of live despite the fact that our territorial integrity had been violated. Twenty percent of our lands is under occupation. As the result of the occupation and a policy of ethnic cleansing over than one million Azerbaijanis were expelled from their homelands. Despite this problem, Azerbaijan`s economy has been successfully developed. Between 2004-2008 our economy saw a 2.6-fold increase. And this, surely, helps us in coping with economic and social tasks faced by the country", said Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev highly appreciated the past meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries in Baku, saying that it has further strengthened their unity.

"Dear friends, recently Baku hosted a remarkable event which strengthened our unity even more - a first meeting of the Parliamentary assembly of Turkish-speaking countries. Our legislative authorities will be in a closer contact with one another... And we support this idea", he said.

President of Azerbaijan once again expressed his desire to strengthen the unity of the Turkic peoples, stressing the benefits they receive from it.

"We want very much that the unity among Turkish-speaking countries be stronger. This is our history, our culture, our roots... We are all well aware that sometimes it is not easy to defend your own position on the international scale. If we stay together, demonstrate shared views on certain issues and systematically work to strengthen our unity, our international positions will be strengthened. After all, the Turkish-speaking countries possess all opportunities - natural resources, oil and gas fields, favorable geographical location, powerful economies, talented people and dynamic infrastructure. Putting all these opportunities together and concentrating on them will turn Turkish-speaking countries into a great power on the global scale... I`m very pleased that over the last few years our unity has been strengthened. Our presence here in Nakhchivan, an ancient Azerbaijani land, our talks, the summit and documents we will sign at its end will cement our unity even more. This is our wish, and I believe we will achieve it", said Ilham Aliyev.

Concluding his speech, the President of Azerbaijan once again thanked the guests for accepting his invitation and wished success to the summit.

It was followed by the speeches of the guests of summit. Then, President Ilham Aliyev made closing remarks at the summit.

He expressed confidence that the summit will determine the direction of future activities of the participating countries.

"Today we'll sign two significant documents. We will set up a Cooperation Council of Turkish-speaking countries and adopt the Nakhchivan declaration. These documents will be a basis for our further activities", said the President of Azerbaijan.

He once again thanked the guests for having accepted his invitation and arrival in Nakhchivan. The President noted the special place that this city has in the history of Azerbaijan.
 
"Strategic importance, history, culture, historic monuments of Nakhchivan are our wealth, huge property. It should be noted that foundations for Azerbaijan`s independence were laid here in Nakhchivan. Heydar Aliyev`s work here - as early as in the Soviet era - was of crucial importance for the independence of Azerbaijan... Nakhchivan is where Azerbaijan`s tricolor flag was raised for the first time following a long break. In following years Heydar Aliyev made a tremendous contribution to building independent Azerbaijan. And today Azerbaijan lives as an independent country, increasing its power and coping with all tasks it faces",  said Ilham Aliyev.

President of Azerbaijan stressed the importance of the work carried out in the framework of the summit for participant states.

"Today cooperation among our countries has beautiful prospects. Our fruitful work will bring us closer to one another, strengthen our position on the international scale and open up good opportunities for coping with all the tasks faced by our countries. Today we`ve discussed these issues both in the bilateral format and together. And we`ve made certain that we have big potential and strong political will", he said.

President of Azerbaijan supported the initiative of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev to hold the next summit in August next year in Kyrgyzstan.

"We appreciate this proposal and support it with satisfaction. It is very important that we hold summits regularly. I believe every meeting will contribute to opening new opportunities", said Ilham Aliyev.