ISMI Delegation Participates in OTS Analytical Centers Meeting in Baku

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A delegation from the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISMI), led by Deputy Director Shafoat Nurullayeva, took part in the 11th meeting of the analytical centers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on 29 September in Baku.

The event, organized by the Center for Analysis of International Relations of Azerbaijan, brought together leading experts from think tanks of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Hungary.

During the open discussions, participants examined the development of relations among Turkic states in political-diplomatic, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Special attention was given to advancing strategic projects implemented within the OTS framework, including the Middle Corridor, the Turkic Investment Fund, and the OTS Development Bank.

Deputy Director Shafoat Nurullayeva delivered a report on the priority areas of economic cooperation among member states, emphasizing that trade, industrial cooperation, transport, and digitalization of the economy are the most promising fields in the new phase of interaction. She highlighted Uzbekistan’s focused efforts to strengthen mutual trade within the Organization.

Currently, OTS member states collectively represent Uzbekistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and Russia. In 2024, the volume of mutual trade reached approximately $10 billion, accounting for 15% of the country’s total foreign trade turnover.

To maintain and accelerate this positive trend, Nurullayeva noted the importance of implementing President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiatives, including the creation of the online platform “TURK-TRADE,” which will simplify and expedite trade operations, as well as the adoption of a Practical Program to expand trade and facilitate increased exchanges among member countries.

The ISMI expert also emphasized industrial cooperation as a key area for further collaboration. Uzbekistan actively promotes the development of this sector and supports the establishment of new enterprises with capital participation from OTS member states. By 2025, their number reached approximately 4,000, marking a 60% increase compared to 2019, with such companies accounting for around 20% of all foreign-capital enterprises in the country.

Particular attention was given to cooperation in the transport sector. Nurullayeva noted that Turkic states are demonstrating sustained growth in their transit significance within the global economy. A striking example is the volume of cargo transported along the Middle Corridor, which reached 4.5 million tons in 2024—nearly six times more than in 2020. This trend, she emphasized, underscores the strategic importance of other infrastructure projects, including the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway.

During the meeting, experts from Turkic states and representatives of the OTS Secretariat highlighted Uzbekistan’s pivotal role in strengthening the organization. They noted that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiatives serve as a powerful catalyst for deepening intergovernmental ties across the Turkic world.

It was also emphasized that Uzbekistan is now one of the key players in the transformation of the OTS, contributing not only to the development of the conceptual and legal framework of the organization but also to the improvement of its institutional and organizational mechanisms.

Participants acknowledged that Tashkent is gradually becoming an important dialogue platform where issues of mutual interest to all member states of the Organization are discussed.