“This year, the Organization of Turkic-Speaking States (OTS) Summit will be held in Azerbaijan. As think tanks representing the organization’s member and observer countries, we have established a tradition of holding regular meetings in the host country prior to the summits. In fact, a memorandum was signed between think tanks on this issue, and the continuation of these meetings has been identified as a relevant task in the final declarations of OTS summits by the heads of state and government. So far, we have organized 10 such meetings and conferences, and today we are holding the 11th conference in Baku. Since 2009, the reputation of the OTS, which has now reached the organizational stage, has been steadily growing,” said Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations, in his address at the conference titled “The Organization of Turkic States: As a Regional Actor during Global Uncertainty” held in Baku.

Noting that in recent years the organization’s membership, as well as its regional and global influence, has grown significantly, he added: “Today, we can say with confidence that the OTS truly serves peace and cooperation in the region. Unlike other organizations in the region, cooperation within the OTS is built on the principle of equality.”