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The Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States is an international intergovernmental organization that unites modern Turkic states, the main goal of which is to develop comprehensive cooperation between its members.
We talked with Baghdad AMREYEV, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States about the integration of the Turkic world and cultural interaction.
– As you know, the authority of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States in the international arena is growing. And let us begin our conversation, if I may, with the question of the establishment of this Council and the number of Member States, as well as its main purpose and areas of activity.
– The process of establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) began immediately after the collapse of the USSR and the first Summit of the heads of Turkic Speaking States, held in Ankara in 1992, which was attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Taking into account the effectiveness and efficiency of the first meeting within the framework of the Ankara Summit, the heads of state decided to continue the practice of holding such summits. Subsequent summits were organized in Istanbul (1994, 2001 and 2010), Bishkek (1995), Tashkent (1996), Astana (1998), Baku (2000), Antalya (2006) and Nakhichevan (2009).
It is gratifying to note that the Tashkent Summit in 1996 recognized the need for regular multilateral consultations and meetings, as well as the establishment of the Secretariat of the Summit of Turkic Speaking States. Later, at the Astana Summit in 1998, the Charter of the Secretariat was adopted, and at the Baku Summit in 2000, it was decided to establish a Permanent Secretariat in Turkey.
In 2009, the heads of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey signed the Nakhchivan Agreement on the establishment of the Turkic Council in Nakhchivan, which entered into force in November 2010. At the same time, during the 10th Summit held in Istanbul, the beginning of the activities of the Turkic Council was solemnly announced, its Secretariat was established in Istanbul and the representative of Turkey, Ambassador Halil Akinci, was appointed Secretary General.
The first Summit of the Turkic Council was held in Almaty on October 20-21, 2011 on the initiative of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Honorary Chairman of the Turkic Council. Subsequent summits were held in Bishkek (2012), Gabala (2013), Bodrum (2014), Astana (2015), Cholpon-Ata (2018), Baku (2019).
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev for the first time attended the Cholpon-Ata summit in 2018 as a guest of honor.
During this meeting, Hungary was granted observer status and a new Secretary-General was elected. In September 2019, the European Office of the Turkic Council was established in Budapest. At the 7th Summit, organized in honor of the 10th anniversary of signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement in Baku on October 15, 2019, Uzbekistan became a full member-state of this organization.
With the accession of Uzbekistan, the Turkic Council has five Member States: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Hungary has an observer status. At the same time, work continues on cooperation with Turkmenistan at various levels, which corresponds to the spirit of brotherhood and unity between the Turkic states.
The main goals and objectives of the Turkic Council are enshrined in the Nakhchivan Agreement, according to which the Organization’s activities are aimed at strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness, maintaining peace and security both between the Turkic-speaking countries and at the global level. Taking into account the need for integration and development of national economies, Member States aim to create favorable conditions for trade and investment, simplify customs and transit procedures in order to gradually implement free movement of goods, capital, services and technologies, as well as simplify financial and banking operations. Other important of cooperation are science and technology, education, health, culture, sports and tourism, support for youth, popularization of the great cultural and historical heritage of the Turkic peoples.
In general, the Turkic Council strives for the development of all-round cooperation – in the political, trade and economic, scientific, military and technical, law enforcement and environmental protection, energy and transport, cultural and educational fields, and the monetary and financial sphere.
– As you have already noted, in October 2019 for the first time, Uzbekistan participated as a full member in the 7th Summit of the Turkic Council in Baku. How was this taken by the Turkic Council and the international community?
Uzbekistan’s accession to the Turkic Council was a landmark event in strengthening the unity of the Turkic world. The Member States and observers of the Turkic Council welcomed the Republic of Uzbekistan as a full member of the organization. This historic decision coincided with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement. Uzbekistan has always been and remains a country whose spiritual heritage is one of the fundamental foundations of the Turkic world, the economic and cultural cradle of the Turkic-Islamic history with its ancient guardians – the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, located along the Great Silk Road. The fraternal Uzbek people with their rich national and historical heritage have made a huge contribution to the world civilization. Uzbekistan, with its growing capabilities, opens a new, bright chapter of cooperation to all Member States and, by diversifying the agenda of the Turkic Council, strengthens the economic component of international cooperation.
Undoubtedly, Uzbekistan’s accession to the Turkic Council opens up previously untapped opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership, thanks to specific initiatives put forward by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Baku Summits in October 2019 and April 2020.
Membership of the brotherly country contributes to the expansion of geography and deepening of diversified cooperation between the Turkic Speaking States, which arouses interest in the activities of the Turkic Council by certain states where the Turkic communities live. With the expansion of the Turkic Council, it can be safely stated that over 160 million people live on the territory of the Member States and the observer country.
These factors play an important role in the development of trade relations between East and West and have great potential for the Council to become a comprehensive geo-economic and geopolitical participant not only in Asia, but also around the world.
– Undoubtedly, the decision on the expediency of Uzbekistan’s membership in the Turkic Council was made in connection with the effectiveness of the Organization’s activities, the vision of its broad prospects and potential. Can you briefly tell us about the economic cooperation within the framework of the Turkic Council?
– For a quarter of a century, the countries of the Turkic Council have significantly improved their capacities to produce more products through increased economic activity. The GDP of the Member States and the observer country on the basis of purchasing power parity increased from $ 757 billion in 1992 to $ 3.8 trillion in 2019.
Average real GDP growth has slowed over the past two years, reaching 3.3 % in 2018 and 2.3 % in 2019. According to the IMF, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, average real GDP growth also declined by 3.7 percent in 2020. However, by 2021, growth is forecasted again.
Total intraregional trade, measured through exports, increased from $ 11.1 billion (2016) to $ 20.2 billion (2019). The share of intraregional exports in total exports remains at an unsatisfactory level, accounting for only 3.4 % in 2010 and 5.1% in 2019.
It should be noted that during the entire period of activity of the Turkic Council, ten meetings of Ministers of Economy and eleven meetings of working groups on economic cooperation were organized, during which steps to strengthen economic cooperation were discussed and concrete action plans were adopted to implement the agreements reached.
Dozens of ministerial meetings were also held in other economic areas, such as transport, customs, information and communication technologies, tourism, etc.
In 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Nur-Sultan between state authorities to support small and medium-sized enterprises of the Member States of the Turkic Council and a Memorandum of Understanding on the exchange of information and experience between different types of economic zones on the margins of the 7th Summit of the Turkic Council, held in Baku in October 2019.
In continuation of implementation of the tasks set by the heads of state, a meeting of ministers of economy/trade and heads of customs administrations was organized on May 6, 2020 in the videoconference format. The main objectives of the meeting were to take measures to maintain the current level of trade and economic relations, mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy, and strengthen trade relations during and after the pandemic. During the meeting, the ministers agreed to develop a joint action plan with the coordination of the Secretariat, take measures to ensure food security and prepare a common list of essential commodities, as well as to simplify the procedures for customs clearance of goods. The issues of defining a common strategy for trade facilitation and promotion of multimodal transport along the Trans-Caspian Corridor, as well as ensuring the effective use of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway were considered.
In the framework of this meeting, participants agreed to prepare a list of essential commodities for implementation of the initiative on creation of a “green corridor” at customs checkpoints put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. M. Mirziyoyev on the margins of an extraordinary Summit of Heads of State organized in the videoconference format on April 10, 2020.
Another important structure of the Turkic Council is the Turkic Business Council, which makes a significant contribution to the development of economic cooperation under the auspices of the organization. The institution unites the business associations the Member States and seeks to expand cooperation between them.
Meetings of the Business Council were held in Tashkent on December 14, 2018, in Nur-Sultan on May 17, 2019 and again in Tashkent on October 5, 2019. The forums were attended by more than 500 participants, including Chairpersons of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Member States of the Turkic Council, entrepreneurs and business circles. Within the framework of the events, the Charter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Turkic Council was adopted.
In May 2019, the Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) of the Turkic Countries was established in Nur-Sultan and in August of the same year, the Founding Conference of the TCCI was held with its headquarters in Istanbul. Within the framework of the Joint Chamber, projects are being developed to create free economic zones and trading houses in the countries of the Turkic Council.
In furtherance of economic cooperation, the Member States of the Turkic Council are actively working on creation of the Turkic Investment Fund. Thus, on January 17-18, 2019 in Istanbul, the Secretariat held a regular technical meeting with the relevant institutions of the Member States, where participants discussed further details of the objectives, structure and terms of the joint fund and agreed on a concept paper for its establishment. It is expected that the creation of the Investment Fund of the Turkic Council will be announced during the upcoming summit of the Organization.
In order to create an electronic database of business circles, to get acquainted with investment and other projects, as well as to access to foreign markets and to establish partnerships, a web portal of Turkic business was created (www.turkicbusiness.com). The website aims at providing information free of charge about markets, economic development, business opportunities, fairs, exhibitions, training programs and other events in Turkic-speaking countries.
– Speaking at the 7th Summit of the Council, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev put forward a number of proposals and initiatives. In particular, it was noted that the implementation of major transport and communication projects will create significant opportunities for entering the European, Chinese and South Asian markets through the Central Asia–Turkey transport corridor. How can the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor be used? How does the Turkic Council approach this, and what is being done in this direction?
– In fact, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, also known as the “Middle Corridor”, is becoming an increasingly safe and shortest trade route between Europe and Asia, connecting landlocked countries of the Turkic Council. The corridor expands market opportunities, offering significant savings by deepening the potential and increasing the scale of economic integration between the countries of the Turkic Council. While the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected much of international trade and cargo transportation, the Middle Corridor has shown its potential as a reliable and shortest trade route, capable of delivering cargo from eastern parts of Asia to Europe within about two weeks.
It should be noted that in general, the countries of the Turkic Council have taken significant steps in recent years to improve the transport infrastructure and effectively use the transit potential of the “Middle Corridor”. Customs procedures at the port of Aktau in the Caspian Sea were simplified thanks to the introduction of the “single window” system, and port fees were significantly reduced, which contributed to achieving significant efficiency and optimal reduction in the cost of transport operations. The commissioning of the “Kuryk” port also contributed to the expansion of the transit potential of the “Middle Corridor”. In addition to the above, a new Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line was put into operation on October 30, 2017, designed to facilitate access to the European and world markets for Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The length of the railway is 846 km, of which 504 km pass through the territory of Azerbaijan, 263 km – through the territory of Georgia and 79 km – through the territory of Turkey. To date, this railway is the shortest route connecting China and Europe.
In this context, it should be noted that at the 7th Summit (Baku, October 15, 2019) and the Extraordinary Video Summit of the Heads of State of the Turkic Council, dedicated to the theme “Solidarity and Cooperation in Combatting the COVID-19 Pandemic” (April 10, 2020), the Heads of State confirmed the importance of creating favorable conditions and simplifying administrative procedures for turning the “Middle Corridor” into an effective, sustainable and uninterrupted route. Special emphasis in transport cooperation is placed on ensuring food security and unhindered movement of essential commodities.
The launch of a pilot project between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on cargo transportation using eTIR e-books in November of this year was a logical continuation of the increase in the transport potential of the Organization’s Member States. Digitalization of the transportation process will significantly simplify the work of both customs authorities and carriers, will help reduce transaction costs, contribute to expediency and safety.
In the context of increasing the attractiveness of the “Middle Corridor”, it is important to arrange rail transportation between Turkey and China along this corridor. It should be noted that on December 4, 2020, a freight train went from Istanbul through the “Middle Corridor” to the Chinese city of Xi’an, which covered 8,693 km in 12 days. The train crossed two continents, two seas and five countries.
The implementation of these projects is a vivid example of successful cooperation and practical implementation of the priority tasks defined in the Baku Declaration of the Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Turkic Council of April 10, 2020.
In general, together with the Member States of the Turkic Council, measures are being taken to improve the legal framework for international combined cargo transportation and create a “green corridor” for expedient transit of food, medical, humanitarian goods and essential commodities. For this purpose, a regular meeting on further development of transport infrastructure is planned to be held at the beginning of 2021, where the details of the proposal of the Uzbek side on this “green corridor” will be discussed.
In order to demonstrate the effectiveness and viability of the Trans-Caspian Corridor, it is also planned to organize a demonstration road tour from the borders of China to Istanbul.
During an extraordinary session of the Summit in April, 2020, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to relevant institutions/organizations of the Member States to consider the possibility of using modern infrastructure of the ports of Aktau, Turkmenbashi, Alat, Samsun and Mersin in the construction of transit and logistics centers, as well as to use a system of mutually beneficial discounts and benefits for cargo transportation in foreign trade. In addition, within the framework of the Turkic Council, there is a mechanism for twinning cooperation of ports namely Sister Ports Process (the ports of Baku and Aktau, Samsun and Kuryk are members of this structure), which significantly increases the efficiency and volume of trade turnover. The port of Mersin is expected to participate in this process. It has a strategic location on the Mediterranean coast. In parallel, work is underway on participation of strategically important land ports of the Member States of the Turkic Council, including the Navoi and Termez intermodal centers, for export-import operations.
In order to further deepen transport and logistics ties, the Turkic Council is working on the following tasks:
● improvement and harmonization of regional transport policies and technical standards related to freight transport;
● promoting innovation in transport and customs operations through digitization and electronic documents (e.g. eTIR, eCMR);
● maintaining an effective network of coordination and communication, including between Caspian ports, as well as logistics centers; coordinating the process of twin ports;
● providing technical assistance and support from international partners such as WCO, UNECE, ESCAP and OECD.
– Would you please tell us what are your expectations from Uzbekistan’s participation in the Turkic Council?
– I would like to emphasize that Uzbekistan’s accession to the organization is primarily a reflection of natural historical processes. Uzbekistan has always been present in the formation of the Turkic Council, only legal registration was required. On the ancient Uzbek land, our common Turkic history was formed, great scientists and scholars worked, whose works made an invaluable contribution to world science and culture. Uzbekistan’s participation as a full member not only meets the fundamental interests of the entire Turkic world, but also gives a powerful impetus to the activities of the Turkic Council and the ever-expanding cooperation between Turkic-speaking countries and peoples.
It should be noted that today not only cultural and spiritual ties, but also trade, economic, transport and communication relations of Uzbekistan with other members and observers of the organization have reached a new level. In recent years, the volume of mutual trade between these countries has almost doubled, transport links are expanding and cargo transportation is growing accordingly.
Now Uzbekistan is entering a qualitative new stage of its development. The powerful potential of the state is being fully realized. Reforms are being carried out in the republic to create conditions for ensuring comprehensive and accelerated development of the country and society, liberalizing the economy and developing the social sphere, as well as ensuring security and interethnic harmony. The country’s constructive and balanced foreign policy is aimed at creating a belt of security, stability and good neighborliness around Uzbekistan, as well as improving its international image.
Today, the changed atmosphere of regional dialogue, the nature of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia, as well as the Turkic states reflects the “new face” of Uzbekistan.
The Turkic Council follows with great enthusiasm the reforms and important steps taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to radically improve people’s lives, ensure the rule of law and social justice, and promote innovative development.
We are confident that the reforms carried out under the wise leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will lead to further development of the country, increasing its role both at the regional level and in the international arena.
Undoubtedly, the growing integration of Uzbekistan into the Turkic Council will significantly strengthen cooperation between the Turkic Speaking States and will have a positive impact on the entire Turkic world.
– Thank you for the conversation.
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