Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahat (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan, said that Turkmenistan holds the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in high esteem and expressed his country’s interest in developing cooperation with the OTS, Trend reported.
At a meeting organised within the framework of the OTS Council of Elders in Ashgabat, he stressed that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of relations with Turkic states in both bilateral and multilateral formats. Berdimuhamedov noted that the common historical, cultural and linguistic roots are the basis for deepening cooperation in political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Berdimuhamedov also presented a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation among the OTS countries, including the proposal to introduce the title of “Honorary Elder” and to develop an Internet resource for the OTS Council of Elders.
The OTS Council of Elders will be held in Ashgabat from 11-13 March, and Turkmenistan is hosting this event for the first time. The previous meeting of the Council was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in October 2023.
The Organisation of Turkic States comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan and Hungary participate in the OTS as observers. In early March, Berdimuhamedov announced that Turkmenistan could join the OTS this year.