Azerbaijan expands security co-operation across Central Asia PHOTO

Azerbaijan’s interior minister has signed a crime-fighting co-operation agreement with Kyrgyzstan during a meeting of interior ministers of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijan’s Interior Minister Colonel-General Vilayat Eyvazov led a delegation to the third meeting of OTS interior ministers, held in Astana on September 10, according to the ministry.

The meeting focused on expanding co-operation between the member states’ interior ministries and joint efforts to combat crime, including extremism, human trafficking, crimes involving information and communication technologies, drug trafficking and illegal migration.

Officials also discussed closer co-operation in locating people wanted for criminal prosecution and searching for missing persons.

A draft agreement on establishing a Council for Combating Crime among OTS member and observer states was also considered.

The participants signed a declaration following the meeting and agreed to hold the fourth meeting of interior ministers of the OTS member states in Türkiye in 2027.

Eyvazov and Kyrgyzstan’s interior minister signed an Agreement on Co-operation in Combating Crime on the sidelines of the meeting.

By Aghakazim Guliyev