President Ilham Aliyev addressed participants of the fifth meeting of secretaries of the Security Councils of member states of the Organization of Turkic States in Baku.
According to the "Operative Information Center-OMM", the address reads:
"Dear participants of the event!
I sincerely welcome you to the fifth meeting of secretaries of the Security Councils of member states of the Organization of Turkic States in Baku. Welcome to Azerbaijan! It is gratifying that this important event is being held in Azerbaijan for the first time.
Our fraternal peoples are united as a strong family by common ethnic roots, language, culture and traditions. The Organization of Turkic States, which formalizes our natural alliance, is a clear example of the unity and effective cooperation of our friendly and fraternal countries, located across a vast geographic area and possessing enormous political and economic potential.
Today, the Turkic world has entered a stage of ascent. The peace, security and stability prevailing in our countries, as well as the development processes being successfully continued, are major achievements of our peoples and states.
The Garabagh Victory achieved by Azerbaijan six years ago, a source of common pride and honor, laid the foundation for a new geopolitical reality in the region. This victory also paved the way for the realization of the Zangezur Corridor, a historic gateway connecting our countries economically, logistically and strategically. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the countries you represent for their support in the reconstruction and restoration of our territories liberated from occupation. These initiatives are met by the Azerbaijani people with deep appreciation and gratitude.
Our unwavering friendship and brotherhood are among the key factors determining the growing international influence and potential of the Organization of Turkic States, our common family, and its transformation into one of the world's strong geopolitical centers.
As part of its chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States, Azerbaijan is making every effort to further strengthen unity and solidarity among our countries, realize the broad potential of our cooperation, and contribute to the sustainable development, peace and security of our entire region. The Declaration adopted at last year's Gabala Summit is an important roadmap encompassing close cooperation and integration among member states in the political, economic, energy, humanitarian, military and security spheres.
Within the framework of our chairmanship, we are working to develop the Middle Corridor, an important transport and logistics project connecting Europe and Asia and contributing to the prosperity of Turkic states, including the Zangezur Corridor and other transport links.
One of the notable events coinciding with Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States is the Turkic World Week held in Azerbaijan to mark the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress. I would like to take this opportunity to express my respect to the esteemed leaders of the member states and thank them for the addresses they sent to the Congress, as well as for their continued support for the work of the Republic of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States.
Dear participants of the event!
Alongside traditional threats, the modern world is facing new challenges that concern humanity, including cyberthreats; new sources of instability are emerging, and a crisis of international law is being observed. All this makes it imperative to establish a common agenda for addressing regional and global problems, develop a unified position on important issues, and coordinate our activities in all areas. The military exercises we conduct bilaterally contribute to our defense cooperation and clearly reaffirm the strategic nature of our interstate relations.
Cooperation among the security councils of member states of the Organization of Turkic States demonstrates that the integration process of the Turkic world is not limited to the political, economic and cultural spheres, but is also strategic in nature and intended for the long term.
The regular meetings of secretaries of the Security Councils to exchange views on pressing security issues are of exceptional importance for identifying common global and regional threats and risks and exploring ways to neutralize them. This raises security dialogue within the area of the Organization of Turkic States to an entirely new level and contributes to the formation of a common security architecture. International terrorism, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, religious extremism, the fight against hybrid threats and the protection of critical infrastructure are issues that no state can resolve alone. Therefore, the security councils bear great responsibility as an important coordination mechanism.
I am confident that the discussions on important issues on the meeting's agenda, as well as the initiatives and proposals put forward, will make a significant contribution to the peace and security of our countries, a safe future and the transformation of the Turkic world into a more resilient and steadfast force in the face of global threats.
I wish the meeting success."
