ISLAMABAD / Gabala, Azerbaijan : Monitoring Desk – Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Azerbaijan’s ancient and beautiful city of Gabala, at the sidelines of the 12th Summit on the theme of “Regional Peace and Security.”
The meeting discussed cooperation prospects in areas such as politics, economy, trade, investment, transport, energy security, digital development, and green transformation, as well as the initiatives of our member states to further strengthen our Organization.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized that, amid shaken confidence in international institutions, the dynamic cooperation within the OTS – built on brotherhood and mutual trust – is not only a source of pride but also a solid foundation for hope for the future.
“Today, we will hear proposals from member states on further strengthening our organization. On the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, the number of annual OTS Summit meetings has been increased to two, enabling flexible, in-depth, and comprehensive discussions on our cooperation potential,” Bayramov underlined.
“In the face of current global and regional security challenges, comprehensive political coordination and demonstration of solidarity are extremely vital,” he added. The minister noted that the OTS could play an even more significant role as a symbol of unity in the emerging international security architecture, and highlighted that Azerbaijan’s consistent efforts toward normalization with Armenia are aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region.
Bayramov further stressed that strengthening economic potential, mutual investments, and trade among member states is crucial for achieving meaningful and sustainable cooperation.
Highlighting the geographical significance of OTS member states as natural transport, logistics, and transit lines bridging Europe and Asia, he added: “The organization has enormous potential in this regard. This line is also an integral part of the Middle Corridor.
The announcement of the TRIPP route, which will provide unhindered movement between western Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through the Zangezur corridor within the framework of the Washington Summit, represents a vital step in diversifying regional connections.”
He thanked the friendly and brotherly Kyrgyz Republic for its effective chairmanship of the Organization over the past year and its efforts to further develop cooperation among our member states.
The meeting continued with discussions among the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OTS.
Text of the address of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Jeyhun Bayramov
In an era where confidence in international institutions is shaken, the dynamism of our cooperative ties, built on fraternity and mutual trust among the Turkic states, is not only a source of pride for all of us but also a solid foundation for looking to the future with hope.
The initiative of H.E. President Ilham Aliyev to increase the number of annual OTS Summit meetings to two creates a favorable opportunity for a prompt, in-depth, and comprehensive discussion of our cooperation opportunities.
In this context, along with the final documents of numerous OTS Summit meetings in previous years, the Declarations adopted at the conclusion of the last official Summit held in Bishkek in 2024, as well as the informal Summit meetings held in Shusha and Budapest in 2024 and 2025, respectively, serve as strategic roadmaps for the implementation of our joint initiatives and projects.
It can confidently be stated that the Gabala Declaration and other documents planned to be adopted at the conclusion of the Summit will positively impact the development dynamics of our Organization and add additional value to our common work.
“In the face of existing global and regional security challenges, demonstrating comprehensive political coordination and solidarity is extremely important.” H.E. Jeyhun Bayramov
Within the emerging new international security architecture, our Organization has the potential to play a more pivotal role as a symbol of Turkic unity.
ARMENIA : FM Jeyhun Bayramov said, Azerbaijan’s consistent efforts and target-oriented activities towards the normalization process with Armenia, with which our country was in conflict for decades, are also aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region. As is known, after Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty in 2023, the intensity of direct contacts and joint efforts between the parties towards the normalization of relations with Armenia further increased.
In this context, the Summit meeting held in Washington on 8 August 2025, between the leaders of Azerbaijan, the United States, and Armenia, and the documents signed during the meeting, carry historical importance.
For this historic opportunity to be properly assessed and for a peace treaty to be signed, Armenia must eliminate the territorial claims against Azerbaijan enshrined at the constitutional level.
We can speak of comprehensive regional development and integration only when regional peace and stability serve the socio-economic welfare and progress of our people. We must further strengthen our economic potential and develop mutual investments and trade among the members of our Organization to make our cooperation more substantive and sustainable.
Transport / Logistics : The OTS member states geographically form a natural transportation-logistics-transit line playing a bridge role between the continents of Europe and Asia, and possess immense potential in this direction. This line is also an integral part of the Middle Corridor.
Azerbaijan has made consistent efforts over recent decades to revive and operationalize this corridor. These efforts have been demonstrated through concrete projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, and the Alat Free Economic Zone.
In this context, the announcement of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) within the framework of the Washington Summit on 8 August 2025, which will ensure unimpeded movement between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of our country via the Zangezur corridor, is also a significant step in terms of diversifying connectivity in our region.
Analysis of the Implementation of Economic Initiatives within the OTS – by Obid Khakimov
Cooperation on energy security among the OTS member states is also commendable and promises great prospects. For many years, Azerbaijan has contributed to energy security in Europe and a wider geography through transregional projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the Southern Gas Corridor.
We believe it is time to enrich our successful partnership in the traditional energy sector with new elements of cooperation. In this regard, in the era of high technologies and green transformation, projects such as the “Digital Silk Road” and the “Green Energy Corridor” will undoubtedly bring long-term political and economic dividends to our countries and further strengthen partnership within the OTS framework.
At the same time, I would like to note with pleasure the participation of the friendly and brotherly OTS member states in the restoration and construction works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, emphasizing that this provides additional value to our cooperation within the Organization and creates new opportunities for our partnership.
In the context of the mentioned challenges and prospects, our Organization is emerging as a highly important regional actor.
Azerbaijan supports strengthening the functionality and personnel potential of our Organization’s Secretariat to further enhance the international reputation of the OTS and has come forward with concrete proposals in this regard. To contribute to the work of our Organization as well as to create an additional incentive for increasing the Secretariat’s budget, Azerbaijan has transferred an additional $2 million USD to the account of the OTS Secretariat.
Azerbaijan is determined to continue its support for the institutionalization and strengthening of the activities of Turkic cooperation organizations, including TURKPA, TURKSOY, the Turkic Academy, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, as well as the Representation office of the OTS in Hungary.
I am confident that the discussions held during today’s meeting will give impetus to the development of our friendly and brotherly peoples, our states, and the region as a whole.
Based on shared language, history, and traditions, cooperation in more than 35 areas, including political, economic, and cultural fields, has been developed within the framework of our Organization, established by the Nakhchivan Agreement, transforming the OTS into a dynamic and important regional center.
