BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The primary areas of collaborative activity among member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) include the creation of a unified medical research space, conducting joint scientific research, establishing common medical education standards, and ensuring continuous medical education, said Azerbaijan’s Minister of Health, Teymur Musayev, Trend reports.
In his speech at the 5th Meeting of the Health Ministers of OTS member states in Astana, Musayev emphasized that despite historical challenges, the Turkic world has successfully overcome trials and emerged stronger, progressing amidst global challenges.
He also touched upon a tragic incident that occurred on December 25 of the previous year, when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, was forced to make an emergency landing in Aktau, where it crashed during landing.
"Immediately after the crash, following the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, a delegation from Azerbaijani state structures was dispatched to Aktau. In an interview with Azerbaijani television, the head of state highly praised the professionalism of the Kazakhstani rescuers and medical staff, noting that they displayed true heroism.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the families of those who perished in the crash and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. On the day of the tragedy, we were in constant contact with Minister Akmaral Alnazarova. From the first moments of the incident, Kazakhstani medical professionals, led by A. Alnazarova, provided immense support and demonstrated selflessness. Thanks to timely and highly qualified medical assistance, the survivors were evacuated to their countries without any threat to their lives. I would also like to mention that in Aktau and several other Kazakh provinces, thousands of people voluntarily donated blood within two days. The solidarity shown by our brothers and sisters from Kazakhstan left a lasting impression on the hearts of the Azerbaijani people," the minister said.
Musayev further noted that the OTS had played a pivotal role in deepening relations and regional cooperation among member and observer countries in a short period.
"The four main pillars – the growing authority of the OTS in international relations, based on our shared history, language, identity, and culture – are the result of the visionary policies, mutual trust, and support of our leaders," he added.
Musayev also highlighted that the adoption of a common Turkic alphabet in September 2024 was made possible through high-level support.
The minister concluded by mentioning that a historic event took place with the signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish a Unified Information System Türktransplant during the fourth meeting of health ministers in Shusha.
"We can see that President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that the Organization of Turkic States should become one of the centers of global power is being successfully realized, and I am confident that each of us will contribute to achieving this goal," Musayev added.
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