ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the heads of Turkic states at the 10th anniversary summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Astana on Nov. 3. The Kazakh leader outlined eight pillars of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the organization for 2024.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the heads of Turkic states at the 10th anniversary summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Astana on Nov. 3. Photo credit: Akorda.
President Tokayev noted that the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, a former name of the OTS, has turned into a full-fledged international organization.
“Most importantly, we have strengthened the unity of fraternal countries. We have demonstrated to the whole world our commitment to our common values. We fulfill the will of our ancestors, and strengthen the cooperation of the Turkic nations. Now the goal is to preserve our unity, based on mutual trust and brotherhood, and pass it on to the next generations. The Turkic world interacts with global powers on an equal footing,” said Tokayev.
Kazakhstan’s chairmanship will be held under the Turk Time motto, which stands for traditions, unification, reforms, knowledge, trust, investment, mediation, and energy.
“It is our duty to study common archives and convey the historical truth to posterity. Kazakhstan proposes to instruct relevant structures to study unexplored sources. This is a very important work, particularly because of ‘white spots’ in our common history that have to be studied,” he noted.
Tokayev proposed to systematize the standards and terminology within the organization’s work.
“In this regard, I urge you to consider and approve the draft regulation, which can facilitate the free export of our goods to the common market. Uniform standards will ensure annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of nearly 1%,” he said.
The GDP of the OTS member states reached $1.4 trillion. This year, the trade turnover between the Turkic countries exceeded $22 billion.
“This indicator can be increased by 1.5 times if we approve general requirements,” he noted, proposing the creation of the OTS reference center for product testing, and research in the chemical and food industry.
The head of state emphasized the importance of optimizing the OTS work and increasing the number of staff in the organization’s secretariat.
“I suggest the appointment of OTS permanent representatives as soon as possible. It is necessary to strengthen the cooperation of the Turkic states in the electoral field. The possibility of establishing an advisory council of central electoral bodies should be considered,” he said.
The President mentioned an increased interest from international and regional structures toward the OTS activities.
“We support the initiative to assign observer status to the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). In addition, we propose to establish cooperation with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS),” he said.
Given an unstable international situation, the strengthening of Turkic nations’ unity is the guarantee of security in the region.
“In this regard, I propose to hold the third meeting of the general secretaries of the security councils in Astana next year. It is important to conclude an agreement on the joint fight against crime and the exchange of information between financial investigation bodies of the Turkic states,” he said.
“The Turkic Investment Fund plays a special role in trade and investment. To strengthen economic ties, it is necessary to develop a market for green financing,” noted Tokayev and thanked the participants for supporting the initiative of assigning the city of Astana the status of a financial center of the Turkic world.
Mediation, according to him, is more important than ever. Tokayev stressed the need to strive to ensure security worldwide.
“In this regard, I have decided to provide humanitarian aid of $1 million to the Palestinian people,” he said.
Calling for peaceful negotiations and diplomatic dialogue, he emphasized that “the preservation of the territorial integrity of all states and non–interference in their internal affairs should be key priorities.”
“It is important to strictly implement the resolutions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and comply with the rules of international law. It is no secret that the work of the UN Security Council is now in stagnation. The role of the General Assembly should be strengthened. At the same time, it is necessary to be more constructive in reforming the Security Council,” said Tokayev.
He also highlighted Kazakhstan’s readiness to enhance the work of the energy sector, the country’s commitment to sustainable development principles, and adherence to the global climate change agenda.
“In that sense, I proposed to conduct the International Energy Forum in Kazakhstan this year. I believe that this event will allow us to discuss in detail all the issues of climate change and sustainable development. At the initiative of our country, a regional summit on climate change is planned to be held in 2026. I am sure that the fraternal Turkic nations will support them,” said Tokayev.
