Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 3
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
The conference entitled “Turkic Council: 10th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement” kicked off in Baku on Oct. 3, Trend reports.
The representatives of member-states and observers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking countries, officials, MPs and leaders of research centers attended the conference, being held with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani Center for Analysis of International Relations.
While delivering speech at the event, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev stressed that the idea of uniting Turkic-speaking countries into a single organization occurred at the end of the twentieth century.
Shafiyev stressed that cooperation in the economic sphere is important for the Turkic Council.
“However, the volume of trade among Turkic-speaking countries is not at the desired level,” he said. “Tourism not only is a part of the economic sphere, it is a means of developing cultural ties. The Turkic Council member-states must pay particular attention to this."
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Shafiyev said that the Armenians are destroying cultural monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani lands.
“The member-states of the Turkic Council must demonstrate a single position on this issue because these monuments are the common value of all Turkic peoples,” he said.
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Ramiz Hasanov emphasized that the Turkic Council is an important platform in terms of expanding relations between member- states.
"The Turkic Council plays an important role in preserving the common culture and heritage of the Turkic peoples,” he said. “The restoration of historical Silk Road is one of the priorities of our cooperation in the economic sphere."
He expressed confidence that the Nakhchivan agreement will continue to make a significant contribution to strengthening the relations among the Turkic countries.
Then, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Azerbaijani Center for Analysis of International Relations and the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan.
In continuation of the event, panel sessions entitled "Problems and Prospects for the Institutionalization of the Turkic Council" and "Prospects for Cooperation among Member-States" were held.
While delivering speech at the first panel meeting, President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Efendiyeva spoke in detail about the activities of the Foundation and the conducted work.
She stressed that in a short period, the Foundation has implemented various projects covering culture, rich history, national and spiritual values of the Turkic world.
Efendiyeva emphasized that a joint struggle against instability in the world must be waged.
“There is a need for the exchange of opinions and experience in today's difficult world,” he said. “Turkic peoples with an ancient history and rich cultural heritage have always been supporters of peace and enlightenment.”