Baku, September 17, AZERTAC

On September 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the National Security Council of the Republic of Türkiye Okay Memiş, Secretary of the Security Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Viktor Makhmudov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Adilet Orozbekov, Deputy Chairwoman of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, and Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Mehmet Ağa.

The head of state addressed the event.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

- Salam. Today, Baku is hosting another event within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. Just a couple of days ago, I received religious leaders representing our countries. Today, the secretaries of the security councils of the organization have gathered in Baku for the 5th meeting of their council. All of this is evidence of active interaction within our organization and demonstrates that the Organization of Turkic States is an entity with very high international standing. The issues discussed in various formats encompass international affairs, international security, multiculturalism, trade, transport, and humanitarian cooperation as a whole. Therefore, it can be said with confidence that, after nearly twenty years of operation and following the historic summit in Nakhchivan in 2009, when the organization was established, the Organization of Turkic States is making the most effective use of its potential to address key issues, foster interaction among member states, and define and strengthen the organization’s position on the international stage. We all share an interest in this. The overall sentiment among the leaders of the member states is specifically aimed at strengthening the role and position of the OTS on the international stage. All the necessary capabilities are there for this. The potential of our countries is quite substantial and continues to grow. We are located across a vast geographical expanse. Crucial energy and transport routes and corridors pass through our territories, playing an important role today not only for our countries, but also for the broader region. To the west and east of the OTS region, our organization is being closely watched with great interest as it strengthens its positive role in international affairs, including in matters related to connectivity, transport security, energy security, and security in general. Therefore, I am confident that these issues will also be discussed at today’s council meeting, because today, without energy security and transport connectivity, it is virtually impossible to speak about overall security.

Our countries possess extensive natural resources, which is also a major advantage. These natural resources serve to strengthen our states, enhance the well-being of our peoples, and play an important role for the entire world. Especially in today’s environment unfolding along the perimeter of our borders, issues related to energy security acquire particular significance.

As for Azerbaijan, we are both suppliers of energy resources to the global economy and transit countries for energy resources from the countries of Central Asia, across the Caspian Sea, and onward to international markets. Thus, Azerbaijan’s geographical position—situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and maintaining active interaction both with the Central Asian member states of the OTS and with Türkiye—naturally underlines the role we play in implementing transport and energy security projects to the maximum benefit of all our countries.

I must also note that, in a bilateral format, Azerbaijan actively cooperates with the member states of the OTS. My numerous visits to the member countries of the organization and the visits of the heads of OTS states to Azerbaijan stand as clear evidence of this. Furthermore, Azerbaijan has signed declarations and treaties on allied relations with Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. This represents the highest level of bilateral interaction, and these agreements are being successfully implemented.

With Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, we have established joint investment funds, and an active process of attracting and mobilizing mutual investments is underway. In other words, our country’s bilateral agenda is primarily focused on the Turkic world. This is our main foreign policy priority, as I have repeatedly stated in my public speeches. I have also said that the Turkic world is our family, and we have no other family.

Another advantage of our organization is that it brings together countries with common ethnic roots. There are not many organizations of this kind in the world. If you look at the list of international organizations, it is rare to find a similar example. This is an important factor in consolidation, because not only economic and political interests, but also people-to-people ties and relations among the peoples of our countries, play an important role in strengthening our cooperation. Thus, this spiritual affinity, similarity of cultures and languages, and common ethnic roots all bind our organization together and give it particular significance.

Another key factor behind the successful development of the OTS is that, in today’s turbulent world, as it is often described, stability, peace and security prevail across the territories of our countries. In today’s political and foreign policy realities, this is an important factor for development, because it is well known that no country can develop without stability and security. Neither investment, technology nor innovation will come to a country if there is no stability or political and economic security there. Therefore, today this is also a key factor that distinguishes our countries from many of the surrounding regions where we are located.

Our countries are also demonstrating strong economic growth, especially at a time when we see opposite trends occurring in various parts of the globe: stagnation, economic decline and other economic and social difficulties – these are, by and large, the realities of the modern world today. However, across the OTS space, we observe positive dynamics: growth in industrial production, strong economic performance and stable financial systems. All of this is also a major achievement of our countries and of the policies pursued in our states at the government level.

And, of course, it is also very important to highlight another commonality between our countries and peoples: our commitment to our moral and national principles. In our countries, national principles and the principles of national identity prevail over other principles that are sometimes attempted to be imposed on us from outside. It is equally essential that the younger generations in our countries be raised in the spirit of patriotism and devotion to national principles and our moral values. In this context, this is a major area where the OTS should work actively, including through initiatives related to youth policy.

Furthermore, the fact that the population of our countries is young and the demographic situation is positive is also an advantage, because we see what is happening in many countries where populations are rapidly shrinking. Some nations are already sounding the alarm that if this continues, their populations will drop to critical levels. In our countries, the opposite process is taking place – population growth. Yes, at a certain stage, this can lead to certain economic and even social challenges if it is not supported by an active economic policy, including the creation of social infrastructure and more jobs. But in our countries, we see that economic growth and issues related to social well-being are being addressed very successfully.

As you know, I frequently visit OTS member states; just last month, I visited Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and I often visit Türkiye and Turkmenistan. Therefore, I personally witness the positive transformations taking place across the OTS region. All of this brings me a sense of joy and pride in our brothers.

And, of course, the main topic you will be discussing concerns security system, which requires constant attention. Once again, the advantage of our countries is that across this vast geography, the situation regarding public order and various terrorist threats remains under control, but that does not mean we should let down our guard. Wars are raging around us, and there is no end in sight to these conflicts. The geography of the wars is expanding. Mutual hostility between the warring parties is taking on a pronounced character. All of this can lead, and in fact is leading, to the expansion of conflict zones along the perimeter of our countries. In our case, speaking of Azerbaijan, our neighbors to both the north and the south are warring nations. In this context, issues related to regional security naturally become of paramount importance.

Without this, as I have already said, there can be no talk of any development. In this context, coordination between the services responsible for state security is extremely important. Information sharing, exchange of operational information, joint action, and strengthening coordination in countering – and, most importantly, preventing – potential threats are, I believe, vital for all of us. I am confident that within the framework of the council meeting in Baku, all these issues will be discussed, but they are also under the constant supervision of the leadership of our countries.

As you know, summits of the Organization of Turkic States are held on a regular basis. On Azerbaijan's initiative, we have recently begun holding informal summits as well, because we felt that meeting once a year at the head-of-state level in this format was not enough. Although, as I said, each of our countries has a fairly active bilateral agenda with fellow member states, we gather together only once a year, and we considered that insufficient. Our colleagues supported this, and the first informal summit was held in Shusha, followed by others in other states.

So, at the leadership level, there is a shared understanding of our common interests and plans, the implementation of which, again, will largely depend on how well our countries are protected from existing and potential threats.

As for the fact that today's threats are not only physical but also ideological, I believe there is no need to elaborate on this; we are all well aware of it. In order to ensure the steady development of our countries and the protection of the constitutional order, it is necessary to jointly fight against all types of ideological subversion aimed at our countries and peoples. This includes subversion carried out through various media outlets, which are usually located far beyond our borders but, for some reason, receive funding from well-known centers. This funding is directed at undermining our statehood, disrupting social cohesion, and imposing alien narratives and values. In Azerbaijan, we are actively fighting against this, and I must say that we have achieved significant results.

Traitorous, anti-national and corrupt structures in Azerbaijan are, in essence, extremely marginalized. Most importantly, they are condemned by the absolute majority of our people. This is because commitment to spiritual values, traditions, and our way of life is the mainstream and dominant trend in Azerbaijan. Anything that attempts to harm this is received extremely negatively by our society. However, this does not mean that our work is complete, as attempts to destabilize our countries will continue.

I am confident that each of you knows the situation in your respective countries very well. Naturally, conditions are not identical in all our countries, but the methods used by certain international centers to subvert the state interests of our nations remain unchanged. Their approaches and attempts to achieve their goals are quite standardized – I would even say primitive. So, I would say our detractors lack creativity. Of course, they focus the bulk of their efforts on the younger generation – a generation that has not yet fully taken shape, is still in the process of formation, and is therefore much easier to manipulate. That is why I say that while active youth policies are being pursued across our countries, I believe that within the OTS framework, we should pay even greater attention to fostering interaction among our youth organizations. We should host regular events, forums, and conferences so that our young citizens can communicate with one another. They must feel toward fraternal peoples as our generation does. We must pass this on to them through our example, through successful work, by strengthening our organization, and through proper ideological guidance.

Thus, the tasks facing you as heads of the security councils of your countries are naturally quite extensive. I believe that during this 5th meeting, there will be a valuable exchange of information and experience. It will be useful to see where our vulnerabilities lie – where there are so-called gaps through which alien elements attempt to penetrate and harm us.

And I will conclude with one last point. For most OTS member states, their modern statehood spans only 35 years. This is not counting, of course, our ancient history – ancient states existed on our territories, our peoples possess a rich tradition of statehood, and we are rightfully proud of it. But as for the recent period, 1991 was the year Azerbaijan regained its statehood. Naturally, this is a factor we must keep in mind. Not much time has passed since Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan regained their independence, but this period has been both challenging and honorable. Every country faced its own difficulties, Azerbaijan faced its own, but we all emerged with honor from the most demanding trials. Today, we have essentially left most of those challenges behind – when I say challenges, I mean the major global problems that faced us. Ahead of us lies joint work, stronger cooperation, even closer ties between our countries and peoples, and the enhancement of the OTS's role on the international stage. Through joint efforts, we must strive to transform the OTS into one of the leading international institutions and organizations. The points I have outlined clearly demonstrate that we have every opportunity to achieve this.

I wish you productive work, welcome you to Azerbaijan, and say to you: Welcome!

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Ramil Usubov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, addressed the meeting.

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Aida Balayeva, Deputy Chairwoman of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, also spoke at the event.

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President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you very much. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to such a responsible and important position. You have visited Azerbaijan many times, including accompanying President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich on his visits to our country, as well as during our visit to Garabagh. So, first of all, I would like to thank you for your work in your previous role in strengthening humanitarian cooperation between our countries, and to wish you every success in this new and responsible area.

Now, regarding our relations: as you noted, they are strategic, allied and brotherly in nature. Just recently, we met with Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich in Bishkek, and we look forward to welcoming him again next month. Of course, the project you mentioned – the fiber-optic cable, which is practically ready for commissioning – is of great importance both for our countries and for a broader geography, including the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) space.

So, I am confident that we will continue to actively interact and work for the benefit of the peoples of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. And special gratitude, of course, goes to you for your assistance with the reconstruction of Garabagh. You were present at the opening of the Kurmangazy Center for Children's Creativity. Many young Garabagh residents are studying there now, recognizing it as a gift from a fraternal people, which only deepens their affection for Kazakhstan. Thank you very much, and I wish you every success.

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Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), addressed the event.

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Okay Memiş, Secretary General of the National Security Council of the Republic of Türkiye, delivered remarks at the event.

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President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you very much. Welcome.

As you also noted, you have been to Azerbaijan many times, and Azerbaijan is your homeland, just as Türkiye is. All Turkic republics are our homeland.

Naturally, Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations occupy a special place and play a special role. I can say that there are no similar relations anywhere in the world. It is impossible to find a second pair of countries so closely bound to each other. All factors converge here – historical ties, cultural connections, political interests, security issues, energy, transport and people-to-people relations. That is to say, Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations today constitute a vital factor in our region and the wider world, as a unified space. Our joint activities further strengthen stability in our region and beyond, especially in the current difficult geopolitical situation.

Naturally, the Shusha Declaration, which I signed with esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the city of Shusha in 2021, represents the peak of our relations and crowns our partnership. In fact, we were allies before that as well, but the Shusha Declaration officially formalized our alliance. More than five years have passed since that day, and with every passing year and month, our unity grows stronger and our role in the world is further reinforced.

As you also noted, we all recognize the primacy of international law, and today there is no other mechanism in the world apart from international law. However, it is also a fact that international law is violated in many instances, and the principle of “might makes right” prevails. Fighting against this alone is very difficult. Therefore, the atmosphere and stance within our organization, as well as the position of member states on ensuring that the norms of international law are recognized as supreme principles throughout the world, are of paramount importance. I am confident that you will also discuss this today.

Once again, I welcome you. You are most welcome.

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Viktor Makhmudov, Secretary of the Security Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, addressed the meeting.

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President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you for the kind words. Please also convey my best wishes to Shavkat Miromonovich and my gratitude once again for the hospitality he extended to me and the members of my family during my state visit to Uzbekistan.

As you know, we visit each other regularly, and I have already had the opportunity to visit many historical places in Uzbekistan: Samarkand, Khiva, and now Bukhara as well. Along with being deeply impressed by the rich historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, I was also particularly struck by the rapid development of the regions.

Tashkent – yes, Shavkat Miromonovich pays great attention to the development of Tashkent, including the project he initiated, “New Tashkent” (Yangi Tashkent). We visited it together, and I saw the immense scale of the urban development underway there. But the fact that the regions are also developing so rapidly while preserving their historical appearance

and cultural traditions, alongside modern infrastructure, is a vivid testament to Uzbekistan’s steady progress. And, of course, special thanks for erecting a monument to Nizami Ganjavi in Tashkent in front of the university building. We unveiled this monument together. This once again demonstrates the strength of our historical roots. A monument to Alisher Navoi was erected in Baku long ago, and now there is a monument to Nizami Ganjavi in Tashkent. These are great representatives of our peoples. Although they lived in different eras, there is such a spiritual connection between them, and most importantly, the mark they left in the history of our peoples is unshakable.

Therefore, please convey my best wishes to Shavkat Miromonovich. We also look forward to welcoming him next month to an international event in Azerbaijan.

I wish you all the best and a pleasant stay in Azerbaijan.

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Adilet Orozbekov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, delivered remarks at the event.

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President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you. As you know, last month I visited Kyrgyzstan twice at the invitation of esteemed Sadyr Nurgozhoevich – both to Issyk-Kul Lake for the informal summit of the Heads of State of Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries and on a state visit. Please convey my best wishes and gratitude to him once again for his hospitality.

I would also like to congratulate you on all the achievements in the socio-economic development of the country and on the rapid pace of Kyrgyzstan’s development.

It was my second visit to Issyk-Kul Lake. The first time was quite a long time ago. Naturally, it is impossible not to see and be pleased by how rapidly this pearl - I believe, not only of Kyrgyzstan but of the world – is developing. Modern infrastructure, modern recreation areas, hotels, and a wonderful golf club, the opening of which we attended – all of this demonstrates that the current leadership of Kyrgyzstan is deeply committed to its roots and is doing a great deal to make up for the ground lost before Sadyr Nurgozhoevich’s tenure.

It is harder for him than for us, because he had to start from a very low base. However, the way the country is developing and the way events are organized – considering that events within the SCO framework represent a major international undertaking, organized at the highest level in terms of venue, accommodation, organization and the magnificent ceremony at the new stadium – all of this requires substantial resources. This means the economy must be working; without that, no projects can be implemented. Therefore, I would like to once again congratulate you and the entire brotherly people of Kyrgyzstan.

Naturally, during the visit, a treaty on allied relations was signed between Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. As I have mentioned, we have established allied relations with virtually all the countries – Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. As our colleague noted, we signed a treaty on eternal friendship with Uzbekistan, which represents the highest level of international relations. Beyond the bilateral format, all of this also strengthens our organization. Through joint efforts, we must ensure that the OTS plays an even greater role in international affairs, in matters related to international security, international trade, energy security and transport connectivity. All of this is in our hands. Everything that is important for the world today is unfolding across our region. Therefore, we should make maximum use of this potential to raise the organization's standing and its ability to influence international processes, and, as we discussed, to exert influence through the prism of international law – safeguarding the primacy of international law and preventing situations where international law remains violated for many years.

As you know, Azerbaijan faced this for 30 years. We had to win back our rights on the battlefield. However, if international mechanisms had worked and if the UN system had functioned normally – a point I also touched upon in my brief statement as part of SCO, given that the theme was related to the UN and international organizations – we would not have had to liberate our territories by force, and there would not have been so many casualties. International law simply proved to be paralyzed—not on its own, but because those responsible for implementing it failed to act. The UN Security Council simply proved incapable, or, more likely, there was a lack of willingness to do so. When double standards and preferences for certain countries prevail over principles, conflicts occur.

Therefore, to prevent conflicts or to resolve them peacefully if they have already occurred, what mechanism exists? Only international law. A mechanism must be devised within the United Nations that ensures the implementation of its resolutions. Otherwise, it becomes a selective approach. When it suits the major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, they enforce resolutions within a matter of days. When it does not interest them or when they deem it disadvantageous to their interests – as was the case with us – those resolutions remained unimplemented for 30 years. Ultimately, we came and took back what belongs to us.

Thus, these issues carry a broader global significance. However, I want to emphasize once again that through joint efforts, we must strengthen the potential of our organization to a point where it can not only articulate its position from the highest rostrums, but also defend it. All of this is in our hands, in the hands of our countries. Through joint efforts, we will achieve this. So, once again, welcome, have a productive stay, and please visit us more often.