BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 11. The 9th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States wrapped up in Samarkand on November 11, Trend reports.
This was the first meeting of the heads of the Turkic countries following the Turkic Council’s reformation on November 12, 2021 during the presidency of Azerbaijan. Having breathed new life into the organization, the primary objective of which is the integration of kindred peoples, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out major priorities for it. The Samarkand summit became a platform for analyzing the results achieved by the organization since the last meeting.
The Turkic world covers a large geographic area with a population of more than 200 million people and has considerable economic potential, energy resources, transport routes, and modern military capabilities. Long ago, one by one, the Turkic leaders declared the need for Turkic integration to ensure regional development, and the first successful step towards the long-awaited integration was made in Nakhchivan in 2009.
The initiator of the Turkic states' summit, President Ilham Aliyev has made clear his desire for the unity of the Turkic-speaking countries to be further strengthened.
"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 an 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 great power on a global scale. This is our wish, and I believe we will achieve it," the head of state said at the summit of the Heads of State of the Turkic-speaking countries in Nakhchivan.
Thus, having for the first time identified potential areas for the development of the Turkic countries' relations, President Ilham Aliyev clearly stated that Turkic integration is among the priorities of Azerbaijan's foreign policy.
Since 2009, Turkic cooperation has significantly been reinforced. Historical ties of countries have been transformed into systematic, institutional, and sustainable collaboration, while economic cooperation has been intensified through several ministerial meetings. The organization has proved itself as a full-fledged international institution with an effective mechanism for developing cooperation in various fields.
Interaction under the auspices of the organization has grown into constructive and comprehensive cooperation. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine the Turkic countries without joint movement into the future. In addition, the institution has already been recognized as a successful cooperation platform and the voice of the Turkic world.
The Samarkand summit has consolidated and summed up the historic decisions taken at the Istanbul summit in 2021.
Against the backdrop of global turbulence, the Organization of Turkic States is yet another proof of President Ilham Aliyev's far-sighted and purposeful policy, as it was Azerbaijan's initiative that created a platform for the Turkic countries in 2009, which now serves for the common development of the organization's members.