Azerbaijani foreign minister, pan-Turkic agency chief mull bolstering relations

By Fatima Hasanova 

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Secretary-General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliyev at a meeting in Baku mulled opportunities for bolstering the relations both within the organization and individual members of the agency, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Jeyhun Bayramov congratulated Kubanychbek Omuraliyev on his election as the secretary-general of the Organization of Turkic States and expressed confidence that he would further contribute to the expansion of cooperation.

The minister emphasized the importance of high-level meetings, stating that the OTS has come a long way since the founding Nakhchivan summit in 2009, opining that its importance at the international level has grown even more. In view of unfolding global processes, the organization is a vital platform for effectively organizing the fight against new emerging challenges and creating new opportunities in the interests of the member nations and countries. Azerbaijan places a high value on cooperation with the organization's member countries, and strengthening cooperation in all areas is one of Azerbaijan's top foreign policy priorities, the foreign minister added.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister also discussed Armenia's deliberate destruction, looting, and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural heritage as a result of its nearly 30-year-long aggression against Azerbaijan. He added that the targeted mining of Azerbaijani territories over the years of occupation indicates that Armenia has been imitating negotiations for a long time.

Omuraliyev, for his part, praised Azerbaijan's dynamic activities and support within the framework of the organization. He emphasized that the new opportunities that will emerge in the region as a result of the opening of communication and transportation hubs will serve to further expand the region's economic potential.

The 9th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States started in Samarkand on November 11. Representative of Kyrgyzstan Kubanychbek Omuraliyev was appointed Secretary-General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on November 11.

Throughout his career, Ambassador Omuraliyev has made significant contributions to Kyrgyzstan's public and intellectual advancement by serving in various public positions, such as Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Business Circles of the Kyrgyz Republic and the National Coordinator, Advisory Group of Secretariat of the Anti-Corruption Network for Economies in Transition (ACN) at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Organization's Secretary General is elected for a three-year term. Previously, this position was occupied by Halil Akinci (Turkiye), Ramil Hasan (Azerbaijan), and Baghdad Amreyev (Kazakhstan).

On November 12, 2021, the 8th summit of the OTS was held in Istanbul. At the summit, the decisions were made to change the name of the organization and to grant Turkmenistan observer status.

In addition, the document on the "Vision of the Turkic World-2040" and the declaration of the 8th summit were adopted. Azerbaijan transferred its chairmanship to Turkiye.