DM Monitoring
TASHKENT: The twenty-first century is the era of international organizations formed on the basis of regional integration processes and common interests. From this point of view, the Organization of Turkic States (TDT) is emerging as an important platform aimed at strengthening cooperation between Turkic-speaking countries.
This organization serves to strengthen not only cultural and historical commonality, but also political, economic, educational, scientific-technical cooperation. Moreover, due to its location, historical proximity and resources, the Turkic States Organization is increasingly gaining importance as a crucial area of cooperation in a new stage of development. At the same time, it also serves as an important bridge for the cultural rapprochement of more than 175 million citizens living in the organization’s member states.
In particular, the countries of the Turkic States Organization account for 14.5 percent of Uzbekistan’s foreign trade. Over the past eight years, trade turnover has almost tripled – from $3.34 billion to $9.5 billion. Exports have increased to $3.5 billion. Therefore, Uzbekistan’s participation among the member states of the organization is of particular importance.
In particular, the current name of the Organization of Turkic States was changed at the proposal of the President of Uzbekistan at the summit held in Turkey on November 12, 2021. Prior to this, the structure operated under the name of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States. For Uzbekistan, which joined the Organization of Turkic States in 2019, participation in this structure was an important step not only towards strengthening economic and political ties, but also towards preserving and developing the common cultural identity of the Turkic world.
In 2022-2023, Uzbekistan chaired the Organization of Turkic States. During Uzbekistan’s chairmanship, more than 100 events were held, and a number of new platforms for practical cooperation were created. It sought diverse and flexible forms of cooperation based on openness, inclusiveness, and embracing different regions and civilizations.
Following the results of the 2022 Samarkand Summit, the “Strategy of the Organization of Turkic States for 2022-2026” was adopted. This document is the first “roadmap” for the implementation of the conceptual document “Turkic World Vision – 2040” adopted by the Turkic countries in 2021.
Uzbekistan has been actively shaping the economic agenda of the organization, promoting important initiatives in the areas of trade, investment, transport, digitalization, and sustainable development. This can be seen in the following initiatives put forward by our head of state at the organization’s next summit on “Regional Peace and Security” in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
In particular, in his speech, our President made proposals such as holding the first joint meeting of the Turkic States’ foreign ministers and heads of special services in Samarkand in order to coordinate approaches to regional and global security issues, establishing a Permanent Council for Economic Partnership of Turkic States and locating its Project Office in Tashkent, as well as establishing an Expert Group on Organic Agriculture and introducing a single brand of Turkish organic products to the world market.
He also supported the early adoption of the Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship and Fraternity and initiated the development of a strategy for the development of the Organization of Turkic States until 2030. At the same time, he promoted the ideas of forming a space of new economic opportunities, establishing the Industrial Alliance of Turkic States, the “Turkish Green Corridors” system and the “Green Transformation” consortium, as well as adopting a “roadmap” on artificial intelligence and the creative economy, and holding the Turkic World International Exhibition in Uzbekistan.
Overall, the more than 10 initiatives put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are all the more significant in that they are aimed at transforming the organization into a multifaceted and strategic alliance. These initiatives will not only strengthen the internal cohesion of the TPT, but also increase its potential to become a competitive and modern platform with its own place in international politics and economics.
In addition, the development of the Middle Corridor and its connection with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the Trans-Afghanistan corridor projects, the digitization of customs procedures and optimization of tariffs, the expansion of the activities of the Turkish Investment Fund, the development of an action plan to combat extremist and radical ideology, and joint measures to increase the environmental literacy of youth are important steps in transforming the TCT into an integrated system in economic, political, and cultural terms, and in shaping the Turkic world as an influential and stable force in the international arena.
