Turkic Week kicks off in Vienna with Azerbaijan emphasizing regional cooperation

From January 12 to 15, Turkic Week is taking place in Vienna under the joint initiative of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the missions of OTS member states to the UN Office in Vienna.

The event commenced with the ceremonial opening of the exhibition “The Turkic World on the Silk Road” at the UN Office in Vienna, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

Organized by the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to International Organizations in Vienna, the opening was attended by OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov, leaders of several international organizations based at the UN Office in Vienna, and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the city.

At the ceremony, Samir Sharifov highlighted Azerbaijan’s priorities during its chairmanship of the OTS and discussed the objectives of the organization as outlined in the Nakhchivan Agreement. He also referred to the Gabala Declaration, adopted at the 12th Summit of the Council of OTS Heads of State, and the declaration approved at the informal summit in Budapest. Sharifov emphasized the economic potential of cooperation among Turkic states and underscored the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor as a transport hub connecting East and West.

During his visit to Vienna, Sharifov held meetings with Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Driss El Hadani, Deputy Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and Fatou Haidara, Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (UNIDO).

The discussions focused on exploring potential areas of collaboration between the OTS and these international organizations, reflecting Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen multilateral cooperation and regional integration.

By Vafa Guliyeva