The leaders of the Turkic states convened for their informal summit in Shusha, on July 6, and signed the Garabagh (Karabakh) Declaration, to consolidate the unity and strategic vision of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The theme of the summit was “Building a Sustainable Future through Transport, Connectivity and Climate Action,” and its agenda covered transportation, bilateral relations, climate change, and other topical issues of mutual interest, marking a significant step towards deepening cooperation and partnership among member countries. The OTS comprises five member states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan, with Hungary, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) holding observer status.
The Garabagh Declaration focuses on broader regional cooperation among the Turkic states and gives preference to sustainable development, connectivity, climate action, economic integration, and cultural cooperation, aiming to consolidate the Turkic world's unity and position the OTS as a significant global entity, according to the official website of the Azerbaijani president.
The document notes the importance of developing transport infrastructure, enhancing connectivity and economic integration among Turkic states through the Trans-Caspian International East-West Middle Corridor connecting Europe-Türkiye-South Caucasus-Central Asia-China.
The declaration also calls for unified efforts in addressing the impacts of the climate change issues, proposing the development of climate-resilient smart cities and villages, and leveraging renewable energy sources to promote sustainable practices.
Addressing the summit, which was held upon the initiative of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said that “enhancing relations with Turkic countries and strengthening the Turkic world and the Organization of Turkic States are Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities. Azerbaijan has always made efforts to strongly unite the Turkic world, increase its political, economic and military power, and transform it into an influential global entity”.
President Aliyev underscored the critical role of transport and connectivity in fostering economic integration among Turkic states, and said that “in the last five years, the volume of cargo transportation through the East-West transport corridor has increased by more than 60 percent. The annual handling capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, an integral part of the Middle Corridor, has been increased from 1 million to 5 million tons thanks to additional investments by Azerbaijan,” the Azerbaijani president added.
Referring to Azerbaijan’s fleet of over 50 commercial ships in the Caspian Sea, President Aliyev said that “in light of the increasing cargo transportation, six tankers and dry cargo vessels are currently under construction at the Baku Shipyard”. “Next year, our country’s ninth international airport will be commissioned in Lachin. The cargo handling capacity of the Alat International Trade Seaport will be expanded from 15 million to 25 million tons,” he noted.
“The Digital Silk Road Project, which aims to create a fiber-optic telecommunication route between Europe and Asia via Azerbaijan along the Caspian seabed, is also one of the significant initiatives” the president said.
President Aliyev also called for enhancing energy cooperation among Turkic states, including in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The summit participants discussed the issues of strengthening the Middle Corridor and its most important component – the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, strengthening logistics, and increasing of cargo transportation and trade among the countries. The preparation for the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29), which will be held in Azerbaijan on November 11–22, 2024 was also discussed.
The total GDP of the member states of the OTS exceeds $1.5 trillion, while the population has exceeded 160 million people. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and landlocked Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, together with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, are intensifying cooperation within the three main vectors of the Middle Corridor – Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), as well as the Lapis Lazuli route.
The trade turnover among the Turkic countries amounted to $42.3 billion and in value terms increased by 27.3 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, while the total trade turnover of the Turkic countries with other countries reached about $1.3 trillion. Almost a quarter of the total trade turnover among the member states of the OTS falls on Azerbaijan, and its volume amounted to about $9 billion in 2023.
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