Turkey chaired the UTG: what tasks does the Union face?
The XIII OTG summit ended today in Ankara. The chairman moved from Azerbaijan to Turkey, the participants adopted the Ankara Declaration and outlined new areas of economic cooperation. In addition to the traditional transport agenda, industrial cooperation and digital technologies are becoming more and more prominent.
Turkey takes over the presidency of Azerbaijan.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Azerbaijan for its work at the head of the organization: during the past year, Baku paid special attention to regional stability, transport links and the expansion of economic interaction.
President Ilham Aliyev was not present at the summit: this was due to previously planned events in Baku and a busy work schedule. The country was represented by Foreign Minister Jihon Bairmov.
The Uzbek diplomat Mirkhid Azimov, who previously held the position of Deputy Secretary General, was appointed the new Secretary General of the UTG.
Transportation corridors become an economic priority.
One of the main topics of the summit remains the development of the Middle Corridor connecting China with Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus. Jihon Bayermov emphasized the importance of transportation projects, including the Zangzor Corridor, for the expansion of commercial and industrial cooperation.
Azerbaijan occupies a key position here: routes connecting Central Asian countries to Turkey pass through its territory. However, further growth in transport depends on building infrastructure, coordinating the work of railways, Caspian ports and customs services.
From transition to joint production.
The President of Uzbekistan, Shevkat Mirziyoyev, proposed the "Turkish World-100" program, which includes a hundred projects for investment and industry. Among the priorities can be found the processing of strategic minerals, the production of equipment for green energy and the production of products with high added value.