On October 20, the International Congress Center in Tashkent hosted the Second Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan.

Nowadays, the efforts of competent agencies to ensure security and joint work to find ways of sustainable development are becoming more important than ever. From this point of view, this meeting can be called one of the most important events on the agenda of the Organization of Turkic States.

The event was attended by the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan Gizat Nurdauletov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Marat Imankulov, Secretary General of the National Security Council under the Administration of the President of Türkiye Seyfullah Hacımüftüoğlu, Secretary of the Security Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Viktor Mahmudov and the OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

At the event, the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Foreign Policy, Abdulaziz Kamilov, read out an address from the Head of state to the forum participants.

The address notes that the dynamically growing potential and authority of the Organization of Turkic States clearly confirms the strength of our friendship and cohesion.

The results of the historic summit in Samarkand opened a new chapter in the development of the Organization. Several important agreements have been adopted, including the simplification of trade and customs procedures, as well as the creation of an investment fund.

It was noted that under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan, significant and multifaceted work has been carried out in the Organization of Turkic States. Cooperation has expanded even more and acquired new dynamics.

Particular attention is paid to the issues of institutional reform of the Organization, creating space for new economic opportunities, strengthening transport connectivity, and cooperation in food security.

It was emphasized that within the framework of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship, several important meetings were held – the heads of ministries and agencies in the economics, trade, health, education, space, energy, and intelligence services.

The address also noted that work will be consistently continued to maximize the use of the Organization’s reserves and increase the integration potential of the Turkic countries in all areas.

Such meetings are an effective platform for exchanging views on security issues and developing joint responses to common challenges and threats in the current turbulent times.

At the event, the meeting participants noted the commonality of approaches of the Organization of Turkic States member states to regional security issues.

The parties emphasized the importance of further expanding interdepartmental contacts on practical aspects of ensuring sustainable development.

“The First Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States took place last year in Ankara”, says Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev. “Last November, a Meeting of the Heads of State – members of the Organization of Turkic States – was held in Samarkand. At this historic summit, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the need for continuing meetings of secretaries of security councils. He put forward a proposal to hold the second meeting in Tashkent. The agenda of today’s meeting includes food security issues, the fight against human and drug trafficking, and the inviolability of borders. We looked at problems in all areas – from food security to citizen safety. Issues of combating terrorism, extremism, and drug addiction were discussed. To consistently implement the decisions taken at the meeting, an agreement was reached to create a group of experts under each security council secretary and secretariat”.

The participants also discussed combating cybercrime, mitigating the effects of climate change, preventing emergencies and other threats. At the same time, issues related to enhancing collaboration were discussed.

The importance of timely coordination of interaction between the competent authorities of the parties and the development of joint decisions on current issues of the common agenda was noted. For this, it is essential to introduce a permanent mechanism of meetings between the secretaries of the security councils of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States.

As part of the forum, bilateral meetings were held between the Secretary of the Security Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the heads of delegations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, as well as with the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States.

At the bilateral meetings, views were exchanged on issues of regional security, the situation in Afghanistan, and the intensification of ties between law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, defense departments, and ministries of emergencies, both based on the bilateral cooperation and within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States.

The parties confirmed their commitment to maintaining constructive interaction and deepening security cooperation.

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Ikrom Avvalboyev, UzA