BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 16. Ankara, has hosted a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov took part in the meeting.
Speaking about extraordinary summit of the Organization of Turkic States at the highest level, held today at the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Bayramov noted that the summit was aimed at demonstrating solidarity with brotherly Türkiye after the devastating earthquake which occurred in this country on February 6, 2023.
The minister expressed confidence that despite the great catastrophe, called the tragedy of the century, which caused tens of thousands of human casualties, huge destruction and a humanitarian crisis, the Turkish nation and Türkiye will adequately cope with the consequences of the earthquake in the shortest possible time.
He stressed that people of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, sharing both joy and sorrow, demonstrated a rare example of solidarity in those difficult days.
Bayramov further said that the dispatch of search and rescue teams, as well as humanitarian aid by the international community, including member states and observers of the Organization of Turkic States, in the shortest possible time, was of great moral importance for the elimination of the consequences of the earthquake. Azerbaijan will continue supporting it in restoring the areas destroyed by the earthquake.
According to Bayramov, Azerbaijan, who has been helping the fraternal country since the very beginning of the disaster, will continue to support it in restoring the areas destroyed by the earthquake.
The minister reminded that following the instructions of the President of Azerbaijan, all the relevant structures of the country rapidly provided assistance to Türkiye.
Humanitarian aid was sent from Azerbaijan with rescue and medical personnel, field hospitals, dozens of planes and hundreds of trucks, he added.
Bayramov also noted the importance of strengthening cooperation, including joint activities of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States in the field of preparing for emergency situations and implementing response measures against them against the backdrop of the disaster.
Besides, he stressed the importance of the practical implementation of the roadmap to create a civil defense mechanism of the organization.
Over the years which have passed since the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States, cooperation between the member states of the organization in various fields, including political, economic, trade, transport, and communication spheres, including the growth of the international influence of the organization, has increased, the minister said.
In this context Bayramov noted that the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the Organization of Turkic States will serve to further strengthen the organization.
Noting that the events taking place in the region and in the world increase the importance of cooperation in the field of transport and communications, he spoke in detail about the work carried out in this direction to build a new transport infrastructure in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, including the launch of the Zangazur corridor.
In this regard, the minister expressed confidence that these efforts by Azerbaijan, which will create conditions for the use of the transit potential of the Middle Corridor, will make an important contribution to strengthening regional peace and security.
At the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, speeches of the foreign ministers of member countries of the Organization of Turkic States were delivered, documents and draft political declarations for approval by the leaders of the countries at the summit were considered.
The previous meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States was held on November 10, 2022.
