Azerbaijani president addresses OTS summit in Gabala: key highlights VIDEO / UPDATED

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which is currently taking place in Gabala.

President Aliyev has proposed holding a joint military exercise for the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Azerbaijan in 2026.

The proposal came during his address at the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the OTS held in Gabala, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Considering the extensive cooperation between our countries in military, defense, and security areas, we propose holding a joint military exercise for the member states of the Organization of Turkic States in Azerbaijan in 2026,” the head of state said.

President Aliyev emphasised that peace and security remain the essential foundations for the development of any nation. “Today, peace and security are essential foundations for the development of any country,” he said.

Highlighting the current geopolitical realities, President Aliyev underlined the need for unity among Turkic nations. “Given the current geopolitical and security challenges worldwide, it is crucial that the Turkic states unite as a single center of power, in line with the Garabagh Declaration adopted at last year’s informal summit in Shusha and following the ‘Regional peace and security’ theme of today’s summit,” he added.

Speaking about cultural and historical unity, the Azerbaijani leader stressed the common roots binding the Turkic world together. “Our common history and ethnic roots, our languages unite us as one family,” he said. President Aliyev also recalled the historic importance of the First Turkological Congress held in Baku in 1926 and proposed that its 100th anniversary be commemorated under the OTS framework.

Emphasizing the historic significance of the First Turkological Congress organized in Baku in 1926, the head of state proposed that the 100th anniversary of the Congress next year be solemnly organized within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States.

Touching upon recent developments in the South Caucasus, President Aliyev highlighted the progress made toward lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. “The initialing of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia two months ago at the White House in Washington is set to transform the South Caucasus into a region of peace,” he said.

He added that following the joint call to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures during the Washington summit, “the decision made by the OSCE on 1 September also ended these remnants of the former conflict.”

President Aliyev further noted that “one of the key outcomes of the Washington summit was the opening of the Zangazur Corridor.” He stressed that “the Zangazur Corridor is significant as a new transport artery and serves as a second route within both the Middle Corridor and the North-South Corridor.”

Turning to the energy sector, the Azerbaijani leader underlined the country’s growing focus on green development. “Azerbaijan is also attracting significant investments in renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydropower. By 2030, approximately 40% of our energy production is expected to come from renewables,” he said.

“Currently, we are developing a green energy corridor connecting Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Europe,” he added.

On economic cooperation among Turkic states, President Aliyev noted the scale of mutual investment projects. “Azerbaijan and the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) have implemented numerous significant investment projects,” he said.

“To date, over 20 billion U.S. dollars have been invested in the economies of our fraternal countries. The majority of these investments have been made in the Turkish economy,” he emphasised. “Additionally, Azerbaijan has established joint investment funds with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Through these funds, many future projects will be implemented,” the President added.

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The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has developed from a platform for cooperation into a significant geopolitical center, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated during his speech at the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the OTS held in Gabala.

"Today, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has evolved from merely a platform for cooperation into one of the significant geopolitical centers,” said the president, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

President Aliyev expressed satisfaction with the growing international prestige of the organisation, emphasising the shared historical and ethnic roots, along with common national and spiritual values that unite the member states.

In his address, the Azerbaijani leader outlined several factors contributing to the OTS's importance on the global stage.

“Internal political and economic stability, a strategic geographical location, positive demographics with a young population, vast potential in transport and logistics, rich natural resources, and growing capabilities in the military and defense technology sectors position the OTS as a significant actor on the global stage,” he said.

Earlier in the day, President Aliyev welcomed the participating heads of state and government to the summit.

The heads of state and government posed for a group photograph.