Organization of Turkic States: First Summit, New Priorities and Opportunities
Recently, just two months ago, Samarkand hosted the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It was attended by heads of state and government of member countries, observers and partners, heads of leading international and regional organizations. Perhaps the most pressing issues of global and regional development, threats and challenges to sustainable development were discussed at the summit.
Following the meetings and talks, the SCO member states agreed to work on solving common problems, identified specific plans for joint actions, and adopted the most important documents to further improve the activities of the Organization.
One of the main results of the summit was also the promotion, with the support of all participants, of the Samarkand initiative of solidarity for the sake of common security and prosperity, designed to create the basis for a global inter-civilizational dialogue of all interested partners. An agreement was reached to promote a completely new format of international cooperation, reflecting the creative spirit of Samarkand, embodying the ideas of constructive cooperation and mutual understanding.
Now Samarkand is hosting the next high-level meeting – the summit of the Turkic states. The heads of state of this organization gathered in Uzbekistan for the first time in a qualitatively new format – within the framework of a full-fledged Organization of Turkic States.
Samarkand again became the center of international dialogue and cooperation, the place where important political and economic decisions are made.
After the last Istanbul Summit and the transformation of the platform of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States into a full-fledged Organization, this is the first meeting of the heads of Turkic states in such a broad composition. All leaders of member countries and observers arrived in Samarkand.
This was largely facilitated by the proactive policy of Uzbekistan, which determined the development of interaction with the Turkic states as one of the priorities of the foreign policy.
In October 2019, Uzbekistan became a full member of the organization, and two years later, at the Istanbul Summit, a new page was opened in the history of this structure – the Council was renamed the Organization of Turkic States.
In a short period, from the moment Tashkent joined the family of Turkic states, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev put forward more than 30 initiatives and proposals for further development and strengthening of interaction with the member states of the Organization.
The summit in Samarkand will also help strengthen the role of the OTS as a sought-after and promising international structure.
It is not surprising that such close attention is paid to the meeting in Samarkand both at home and abroad. About 570 representatives of national and foreign media are covering the event directly from Samarkand.
It is also important that the summit will largely answer how the Organization’s enormous potential will be realized, on what specific mechanisms and instruments the Turkic states will rely on to achieve the identified strategic priorities. In other words, what will be the practical dimension of the concept of Turkic Vision 2040, adopted at the Istanbul Summit last year. It was in this concept document that the Turkic peoples confirmed their commitment to build a common home in a vast area of 4.5 million square kilometers with a population of 170 million people.
Today, the level of comprehensive interaction achieved within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States inspires great optimism. But its real potential is much higher. Thus, the total volume of trade between the Turkic states remains relatively modest.
According to economists, if the existing potential of cooperation is realized, the trade turnover can eventually reach hundreds of billions of dollars.
In this regard, as President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has repeatedly noted, the priority of the OTS states should be the search for new opportunities for active development and expansion of trade and economic cooperation.
The current situation in the world markets requires strengthening the economic foundation of the Organization – increasing mutual trade, deepening technological partnerships, supporting large infrastructure projects, investment exchanges in rapidly growing sectors and promising areas.
The economic dimension of the Turkic world should become the locomotive of cooperation and the basis for the growth of people’s well-being. Today, the GDP of the OTS countries exceeds $1.2 trillion. This is almost 1.5 percent of the world or 5.5 percent of the Asian GDP.
In this regard, the proposal of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to create a research center for trade cooperation between the OTS countries is in demand.
It is necessary to strengthen cooperation between leading industrial enterprises, investment companies, banking and financial institutions and entrepreneurs of our countries, to build effective interregional interaction.
An important pillar in this can be the creation of the OTS Development Bank, proposed by the Leader of Uzbekistan.
Tashkent, in turn, is already actively working to strengthen trade, economic and investment ties.
In recent years, Uzbekistan’s ties within the OTS have been steadily enhancing. Facts speak about the demand for this vector of Tashkent’s foreign policy. Since 2016, the trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the states of the Turkic world has doubled and exceeded $7 billion.
The development of new continental transport corridors and logistics infrastructure that can strengthen the unity of the Turkic world requires special attention.
As the Head of our state emphasized, the main goal is to form a single transport space that will firmly connect our land and sea ports with global markets.
The adoption of the OTS Transport Connectivity Program proposed by the President of Uzbekistan is aimed at a practical solution to this particular problem.
By developing transport connectivity, Turkic countries will increase the volume of mutual trade and expand access to global markets. Thus, the level of integration of economies and people will increase, and the goals outlined in the long-term strategy of the Organization will be achieved.
Another key area of interaction between the Turkic states is the unification of efforts to promote the fourth industrial revolution.
Creating a green and smart economy can be the basis for expanding the ability to develop innovations, know-how and growth models that can ensure sustainable development and progress.
The active introduction of information technologies and advanced methods is also in demand in such a traditional area as agriculture. The first Turkic agricultural forum, held in July in Uzbekistan, showed what problems our states face in ensuring food security and what opportunities they have to solve them jointly. The OTS countries may supply agricultural and food products in large volumes not only to each other, but also to the global market.
Determining the prospects for joint progress, it is also important to rely on spiritual and moral values, the rich history and culture of our peoples, their centuries-old friendship, traditions of good neighborliness and mutual understanding.
Thus, a landmark event was the establishment, on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, of the international OTS award named after Alisher Navoi “For Contribution to the Unity of the Turkic World”.
As part of enhancing cultural and humanitarian contacts, it is important to continue holding joint festivals, concerts, mutual days of culture, and exchanges of creative teams.
At the same time, it must be recognized that the achievement of the identified priorities is difficult to achieve without ensuring peace and stability in our vast region.
The aggravation of the international situation, confrontation and conflicts, the lack of trust at the global level give rise to ever-new threats to security. Along with this, the risks associated with climate change, epidemiological diseases, and destructive information flows are escalating.
The modern world with new opportunities and challenges, which is becoming increasingly interconnected, also requires strengthening the solidarity of the Turkic countries. Through consolidation, uniting joint efforts, it is easier to resist modern challenges and threats, promote our interests, and ensure the solution of common problems.
However, this does not mean a choice in favor of dividing the world into friends and foes, a return to the traditions of the balance of power in international relations.
The development strategy of the Organization of Turkic States is based on the further commitment to the principles of inclusiveness and openness. The prosperity of the Turkic space has always been ensured thanks to a broad dialogue, the ability and readiness of our people to learn the best from their neighbors and partners. This is the key to the successful development of the Organization and the strengthening of its authority on the world stage.
The Turkic states, taking into account their historical experience, unique geographical position at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, can and should play the role of a bridge that unites civilizations, countries and peoples in the name of constructive cooperation and universal progress.
The hallmark of the Organization of Turkic States remains unconditional respect for the vast diversity of the world.
Adhering to this approach, the OTS will strengthen its status as an authoritative and sought-after regional structure, as well as an integral element of the modern system of international relations.
The Samarkand Summit will undoubtedly become an important stage on this path. Thanks to diplomacy and the authority of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Samarkand is consistently turning into a successful diplomatic platform, becoming a symbol of constructive cooperation, mutual understanding and friendship. Therefore, there is no doubt that the creative spirit of Samarkand will play a decisive role in further developing cooperation between the Turkic countries, aimed at joint progress and prosperity.
Eldor Aripov,
Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
UzA
