President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Toqaev addressed the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), outlining priorities for the bloc's further development, infohub.kz reports.
According to the presidential press service's Telegram channel, citing the Akorda, Toqaev stressed the need to strengthen the institutional structure of the Organization of Turkic States as a first priority.
"In recent years, the scope of the OTS's activities has expanded considerably, now covering 60 different areas. At the same time, it is obvious that some functions duplicate one another. On this basis, we should identify the main areas of joint work. Overall, we need to structure the tasks and priorities before us. I would also like to note that it is unacceptable to violate the provisions of the treaties signed at the highest level within our organization. I also consider it important to reiterate the need to establish a Council of Permanent Representatives to the OTS. In May this year, at a high-level meeting in Turkistan, I stated that the Organization of Turkic States is not and should not in the future become a military alliance. This is Kazakhstan's position," Qasym-Jomart Toqaev said.
Concluding his remarks, the head of state recalled the Kazakh proverb "Bereke — birlikte, yrys — yntymaqta" ("Prosperity lies in unity, abundance in harmony") and stressed the importance of consolidating efforts to achieve common goals.
"I am confident that today's meeting will give a new impetus to the OTS's activities and will help further strengthen our interaction. In this regard, I would like to note in particular that Azerbaijan, which has chaired the Organization since last year, has made an invaluable contribution to enhancing its authority. I express my gratitude to the Azerbaijani side. The chairmanship now passes to Turkey. I am confident that new initiatives will be implemented within the Organization in the coming period. I express my gratitude to Mr. Kubanychbek Omuraliev for the work done and wish success to the new Secretary General, Mirvokhid Azimov. Once again, I express my appreciation to the President of the Republic of Turkey for hosting the summit at a high level. May the unity of the Turkic peoples grow stronger," the President of Kazakhstan concluded.