TASHKENT, October 29. /Dunyo IA/.   On October 29–30^th, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a working visit to Türkiye to participate in the events of the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

In contemporary global economic and political conditions, strengthening regional cooperation, enhancing mutual trust, expanding trade and economic ties and preserving the shared historical heritage have become one of the key pillars of international relations.

In this regard, Organization of Turkic States (OTS) serves as an important regional framework for promoting multifaceted cooperation among Turkic nations, expanding strategic partnership and achieving the goals of common development.

Uzbekistan's active participation within the framework of the OTS, the initiatives put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the measures aimed at their implementation contribute to enhancing the practical potential of the organization.

Proposals for the development of the transport and logistics sector, digitalization, energy, education, science and cultural-humanitarian ties are of particular importance for shaping a new stage of cooperation among Turkic states.

Upcoming 13^th OTS Summit in the capital of Türkiye will undoubtedly play an important role in further expanding this cooperation, defining priority tasks and elevating practical initiatives to a new level.

Summit in Ankara, held under the theme “The Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought, and Action” will serve as an important multilateral event aimed at strengthening political dialogue among the Turkic states, expanding economic cooperation, and elevating cultural and humanitarian ties to a new level.

This motto expresses the commonality of the languages and cultures of the Turkic peoples, their solidarity, and their commitment to acting jointly to achieve shared goals. These ideas resonate with the views of the Uzbek Jadid enlighteners, such as Mahmudkhodja Behbudi, Abdulla Avloni and Abdurauf Fitrat, who advocated for national revival, enlightenment, the development of language and culture, as well as the unification of society on the path of progress.

In this sense, the Ankara Summit creates significant opportunities for strengthening unity among the states, enhancing mutual trust and infusing multilateral cooperation with concrete, practical results based on the shared historical and cultural heritage that unites the Turkic peoples.

Event will be attended by the Heads of State of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye, delegations of the observer states, as well as the leaders of the respective OTS structures.

The core agenda of the summit will focus on assessing the current state of cooperation among the Turkic states, effectively utilizing available opportunities, and defining prospective tasks.

It is expected that issues of political dialogue, trade and economic ties, investment cooperation, the efficiency of transport corridors, digital technologies, energy security and cultural rapprochement will occupy an important place on the agenda.

At the meeting in Türkiye, adoption of the final declaration is envisaged, along with the signing of decisions on the appointment of the Secretary General of the OTS and his deputies.

Scheduled appointment of a representative of Uzbekistan to the position of Secretary General for the first time in the history of the organization demonstrates the growing role and authority of our country within the framework of the OTS. Furthermore, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to declare 2027 as the “Year of Nature Protection” within the OTS is expected to be reflected in the summit declaration.

Another important feature of the Ankara Summit will be the strengthening of unity among the Turkic states through practical projects. Indeed, the effectiveness of the organization is also determined by the growth in trade volumes, the implementation of investment projects, the simplification of transport processes, and the expansion of people-to-people contacts.

Looking back at history, the first Summit of the Heads of Turkic-Speaking States took place in 1992 in Ankara. This meeting marked a significant step in the formation of multilateral cooperation among the Turkic states.

Subsequent summits were held in 1994 in Istanbul, in 1995 in Bishkek, in 1996 in Tashkent, in 1998 in Astana, in 2000 in Baku, in 2001 in Istanbul, in 2006 in Antalya and in 2009 in Nakhchivan.

Following President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's participation in the Summit of Turkic-Speaking States in 2018, Uzbekistan became a full member of the organization in 2019. At the summit held in 2021 in Istanbul, a decision was made to rename the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States to the Organization of Turkic States. This transition marked a crucial stage, reflecting the international status of the organization and the expanding scope of its cooperation.

Today, primary objectives of the OTS are to develop comprehensive cooperation among the member states, strengthen mutual trust and friendship, maintain regional stability and security, as well as expand ties in the fields of trade, investment, transport, energy, education, science and culture.

Currently, the total territory of the OTS member states exceeds 4.25 million square kilometers, with a combined population of over 170 million people. In 2025, the aggregate gross domestic product of these countries amounted to approximately $2.3 trillion and their foreign trade turnover exceeded $1.2 trillion.

Uzbekistan strives not to limit cooperation within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States to historical and cultural proximity, but to complement it with practical mechanisms that contribute to common economic development, investment, transport, innovation and regional stability.

Volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan and the OTS member states, alongside the observer states of Turkmenistan and Hungary, grew from $4.13 billion in 2017 to $10.82 billion in 2025. In January–July 2026, trade turnover increased by 19.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

Concurrently, participation of partner countries in the economy of Uzbekistan is expanding. As of August 2026, 4,871 enterprises with the participation of capital from these states were operating in our country.

Trade ties also continue to develop. During the seven months of 2026, the volume of Uzbekistan's exports to these countries reached $2.29 billion, while imports amounted to 4.46 billion dollars.

Initiatives put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are aimed at directing the organization's activities toward specific goals and results, realizing available opportunities, and elevating cooperation between the member states to a new level. Since 2019, Head of Uzbekistan has put forward more than one hundred initiatives. Corresponding “roadmaps” have been adopted for their implementation.

One of the key directions of Uzbekistan's initiatives is the preservation of the shared historical memory, cultural heritage and spiritual values of the Turkic peoples. In this area, significant results include the adoption of the “Turkic World Charter”, establishment of the international Alisher Navoi Prize and publication of a hundred-volume book series comprising the finest literary works of the Turkic states.

In 2022, Uzbekistan hosted the OTS Summit in Samarkand and assumed the chairmanship of the organization. During the summit, the President of Uzbekistan put forward a series of proposals aimed at creating high-value-added production chains and accessing the markets of third countries through the export of finished products.

Designation of Samarkand with the permanent status of the “Capital of Turkic Civilization” reflects Uzbekistan's contribution to promoting the shared historical and cultural heritage at the international level. Declaration of Khiva as the “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World” in 2020–2021 was also one of the important initiatives in this direction.

At the Summit in Bishkek in 2024, President of our country put forward an initiative to conclude a strategic partnership agreement, which will strengthen the political foundation for the implementation of long-term projects.

In 2025, Uzbekistan initiated a number of mechanisms aimed at developing direct contacts between the business communities of the member states. In particular, at the meeting in Budapest, President of Uzbekistan proposed creating the “TURK-TRADE” platform for trade among the Turkic states, drafting a Industrial Cooperation Program and launching a unified investment portal.

These proposals encompass consecutive stages of interaction – from identifying business partners and presenting investment opportunities to preparing and implementing joint production projects.

Bilateral investment relations between Uzbekistan and partner states establish an important foundation for developing production capacities and facilities. Thus, in 2025, the volume of investments from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Hungary reached approximately $4.29 billion.

In 2026, efforts are underway to implement 280 investment projects with a total value of $17.24 billion. The volume of utilized investments within the framework of these projects from January to August amounted to $3.84 billion.

In the transport sector, launch of the electronic permit system (E-Permit) has become a successful practical model of cooperation within the framework of the OTS. Initially, this system was developed as a joint project between Uzbekistan and Türkiye. Subsequently, the scope of its application expanded, and it currently covers transport operations between all member states of the organization.

Further development of the interconnectedness of transport networks is closely linked to the harmonization of tariffs and fees, the digitalization of customs procedures and the improvement of the operations of logistics centers.

In this regard, Uzbekistan proposes connecting the “Middle Corridor” with the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, the construction of which is currently underway, as well as with the project of the Trans-Afghan transport corridor, development of which is planned to be carried out in the future.

At the summit held in May 2026 in the city of Turkistan, the President of Uzbekistan put forward an initiative to develop the “Digital Turkic Corridor” project, which envisages connecting regional data centers through high-speed communication networks.

These initiatives are aimed at developing technologies, innovation, and entrepreneurship, which hold significant potential for future economic growth due to the ability to operate and expand across multiple markets simultaneously.

In general, the initiatives put forward by our country contribute to the development of economic cooperation among the OTS member states, enhancing the competitiveness of Uzbek products and strengthening their positions in regional and international markets.

Within the framework of the 13^th OTS Summit in Ankara, along with the continuation of the political dialogue, it is envisaged to accelerate the implementation of previously put forward initiatives and define new directions for cooperation.

Most importantly, the future results of cooperation among the Turkic states will be evaluated not by the number of documents adopted, but by their practical implementation, their contribution to improving the well-being of the peoples and opportunities they create for common development.