At the beginning of his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for holding the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States at a high level.
- Today's meeting is of particular importance, since it is taking place in the very heart of Europe. This is a clear confirmation of our unbreakable friendship. We consistently strengthen the unity of our states, preserve common historical roots, traditions and cultural values, - the President noted.
According to the Head of State, the forum, which is held under the motto "Meeting Place of East and West", meets the interests and strategic goals of the countries of the Turkic world. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that in the current complex geopolitical situation, cooperation within the Organization is becoming extremely relevant. The speech then listed the measures taken by Kazakhstan to develop ties with partners in the association.
– In particular, a permanent representative of Kazakhstan to the Organization of Turkic States has been appointed, and we plan to open a permanent mission in the near future; the 14th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States will be held in Astana on June 11–12; the city of Aktau has been declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world this year, and specific events have been launched to implement this honorable mission; at the initiative of Kazakhstan, a Consultative Platform of Electoral Bodies was created last week, and its first meeting was successfully held in ancient Turkestan; by agreement of the parties, Almaty will become the youth capital of the amalgamated territorial community from June this year. Thus, we are actively working to strengthen Turkic unity, – said the President of Kazakhstan.
At the same time, he drew the attention of the summit participants to the importance of adhering to the agreements reached by the states of the amalgamated territorial communities.
- Another extremely important issue is the need to strictly follow the documents and rules adopted within the framework of our Organization. The norms established in all agreements, concerning both procedural aspects and political or economic issues, must be respected and strictly observed, - he emphasized.
The Head of State then spoke about the situation in global trade, which is undergoing a major transformation due to changes in tariff policy. He recalled that such circumstances give rise to both challenges and new opportunities, and proposed to combine efforts in key sectors such as industry, transport and logistics, agriculture and digitalization to overcome difficulties.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the strategic task of turning the Middle Corridor into a transport bridge between the East and the West. Kazakhstan, according to him, is taking measures to digitalize procedures on the borders with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, simplify transit and modernize logistics infrastructure, including the opening of a third railway checkpoint on the border with China. He called on the countries included in the UTG to jointly implement large infrastructure projects, including in the North-South direction, which will significantly strengthen the position of the Turkic region as a key transit hub.
The President also stressed the need to use the Organization’s potential to diversify supply chains for oil, gas, uranium and other commodities. He expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for supporting Kazakhstan’s efforts to increase oil exports to Europe.
In addition, the Head of State noted that international experts have recently been discussing the initiative to build a Trans-Caspian oil and gas pipeline. According to him, such large-scale projects require coordinated actions at the transnational level.
Among the promising areas, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted digitalization and information technology. He announced the start of laying a fiber-optic cable across the Caspian Sea, which will significantly strengthen digital connectivity in the region.
- It is necessary to intensify trade between our countries and expand its range. Last year, the volume of trade between Kazakhstan and its partners in the Organization reached 11.4 billion dollars, which is 8% of the total foreign trade turnover of our country. This is a good indicator, but it can be increased. In this regard, I propose to develop a special document aimed at developing trade, - the President said.
The speech also noted the need to deepen cooperation in the field of agriculture. In this context, the Head of State proposed to establish interaction between the amalgamated territorial communities and the Islamic Organization for Food Security.
According to the President, special attention should be paid to joint response to the increasing frequency of natural disasters. As an example, he cited the noticeable decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea, which has a serious negative impact on the environment, economy and quality of life. In this regard, the Head of State called on the Turkic countries to conduct joint research and develop common environmental solutions.
The meeting also featured speeches by Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Secretary General of the United Territory Territory Kubanychbek Omuraliev.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
