An informal summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States was held in the city of Shusha. The event was attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, Vice President of the Republic of Turkey Cevdet Yilmaz, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar, and Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered a speech in which he welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the meeting in Shusha, noting the symbolic significance of this city for Azerbaijan after the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity. He thanked the participants for supporting his initiative to hold an annual informal summit and for coming to Shusha.
Ilham Aliyev stressed that strengthening ties with Turkic countries and enhancing the Turkic world are priorities of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. He noted that Azerbaijan has always strived to unite the Turkic world, increase its political, economic, and military power, and transform it into an influential global entity.
President Aliyev also noted that the Organization of Turkic States should become one of the leading international forces. He emphasized that member countries cover a vast geography with positive demographic dynamics, and their military capability has repeatedly proven its effectiveness on the battlefield. He also mentioned that abundant natural resources, modern transport corridors, and shared ethnic roots represent significant assets.
Speaking about the significance of Shusha, Aliyev noted that this city has always been an important center of cultural, public, and political life in Azerbaijan and the region. He reminded the audience of the tragedy of Shusha’s occupation by Armenian forces in May 1992 and emphasized that the Azerbaijani people always aspired to regain control over these territories, a goal achieved in 2020 during the 44-day Patriotic War.
Aliyev spoke about the “Great Return” program, under which about 8,000 former internally displaced persons have already returned to the cities of Lachin, Fuzuli, Shusha, and Khojaly, as well as to four villages. By the end of the year, another 20,000 people are expected to return to the liberated lands.
The President also highlighted the importance of expanding the East-West transport corridor. Over the past five years, the volume of cargo transportation through this corridor has increased by more than 60%. The capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has been increased from 1 million to 5 million tons thanks to additional investments by Azerbaijan.
Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has a fleet of more than 50 commercial ships in the Caspian Sea, providing important transit services for Turkic states. Currently, six tankers and dry cargo vessels are under construction at the Baku Shipyard, and next year, the country’s ninth international airport will be commissioned in Lachin.
President Aliyev emphasized the strategic importance of partnership in the field of energy, including cooperation in renewable energy and energy efficiency. He also noted the significance of the “Digital Silk Road” project, which aims to create a fiber-optic telecommunication route between Europe and Asia via Azerbaijan along the Caspian seabed.
The President reminded that Azerbaijan will host COP29 this year and invited all summit participants to take part in this event. He noted that holding COP29 and organizing this conference in Baku is a testament to the international community’s enormous confidence in Azerbaijan.
In conclusion, Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that the Karabakh Declaration signed at the summit and the decisions made will further strengthen solidarity in the Turkic world and enhance the prestige of the Organization of Turkic States on the international stage.
