Azerbaijan to host second OTS think tank conference on economic cooperation PHOTO

Azerbaijan will host the second International Conference of Leading National Think Tanks of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on September 16, 2026, at Gulustan Palace in Baku.

The conference is being jointly organised by the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) and the OTS. It will focus on “Strengthening Economic Cooperation in the Organization of Turkic States through Continuous Consultations and Joint Research," Caliber.Az reports per CAERC. 

The event aims to deepen economic integration among Turkic states amid ongoing changes in the global economic system, establish joint research platforms and strengthen institutional cooperation.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to feature speeches by Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Division of the Presidential Administration; Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the OTS; and Professor Vusal Qasimli, Executive Director of CAERC.

The high-level international conference will bring together representatives of government institutions, heads of leading think tanks, academics, international organisations, financial institutions and the business community.

Organisers said the conference will provide a platform for scientific and analytical discussions while also seeking to establish long-term research networks across the Turkic world, promote continuous dialogue among experts and support policymaking through research-based analysis.

Three main panels will be held as part of the conference. The first will focus on the Middle Corridor and its role in regional integration and infrastructure development. The second will examine the current state and future potential of trade and economic relations among OTS countries.

The third panel will address innovation, economic transformation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence-based development models for sustainable growth.

Heads of leading think tanks, prominent scholars and international experts from OTS member and observer states are expected to speak during the sessions.

The conference is expected to contribute to deeper economic integration across the Turkic world, the development of a shared economic space, expanded cooperation in research and innovation, and the implementation of strategic objectives outlined in the “Turkic World Vision – 2040” document.

By Sabina Mammadli