The development of trade and transport routes, alternative energy and the joint fight against climate change - the president Shavkat Mirziyoyev called these areas as the priorities at the informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on July 6 in the city of Shusha in Azerbaijan under the motto “Building a sustainable future through transport connectivity and combating climate change.”

“The summit is taking place in the context of growing global threats and challenges, an ever-increasing crisis of mutual trust,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. “In such a difficult circumstances, time itself requires us to upgrade our ties, which take their strength from our historical spiritual brotherhood, to a qualitatively new level, and to develop common approaches.”

Trade volumes between OTS countries are steadily growing. Last year, the trade between Uzbekistan and the countries of the organization increased by 27%, the president said.

“Today our countries are decisively aimed at accessing the main world markets and reviving the Great Silk Road in new historical conditions,” he said.

The president Mirziyoyev proposed creating within the organization a Council of Railway Authoritites with headquarters in Tashkent and drafting comprehensive measures to most effectively make use of opportunities of international corridors, complete digitalization of road transportation and the creation of “green” corridors.

Last week, the Alliance of Logistics Centers and Shippers of Turkic States was set up in Tashkent.

The Organization of Turkic States “covers the region that has suffered the greatest damage from climate change,” continued Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

He proposed creating a Turkic Environmental Council at the ministerial level to systematically solve existing problems. The headquarters of this structure is proposed to be opened in Nukus, “a large city in the Aral Sea region, the region most affected by the environmental disaster.”

“Today, the voice of the Turkic world is sounding louder and louder in the field of international climate cooperation,” the head of state noted, wishing a successful holding of the 29th United Nations Climate Summit (COP-29) in Baku in November.

Uzbekistan has set a goal by 2030 to radically increase the capacity of renewable energy and increase its share in the energy balance to 40%, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

“Together with our partners, we are launching new wind and solar power plants with a capacity of 2 gigawatts per year... We are also starting work together with Kazakhstan on the construction of hydroelectric power stations in neighboring Kyrgyzstan,” he said.

“I think it is time to adopt the Concept of the Turkic Transition to Green Energy in order to expand cooperation in this area,” the president suggested.

Noting the high human capital that the Turkic peoples have possessed since ancient times, Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for strengthening cooperation in creating a modern “knowledge economy”, in the areas of digital technologies for the development of the creative economy, blockchain and cloud technologies, quantum computing, robotics, and personnel training for the “fourth industry.”

He proposed creating a Research Center for Human Capital Development of the Organization of Turkic States and placing it in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan calls for an immediate cessation of violent actions and an urgent start to the peace process in the Gaza Strip, Shavkat Mirziyoyev continued.

“The consequences of the bloody war in the Gaza Strip, which has lasted for nine months, plunge us into deep sorrow. “Nothing can justify the clashes, which led to the death of about 40 thousand residents, especially women and children,” he said.

“The main condition for ensuring strategic stability and peace in the Middle East is the creation of an independent and free state of Palestine,” the president emphasized.

He called the development of “common and unified approaches to Afghanistan” by the OTS member states in the new realities in the world an important issue.

“Unfortunately, due to the intensification of wars and conflicts in other regions of the world, the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, where millions of representatives of the Turkic peoples live, has fallen out of sight of the international community,” the president said. He emphasized that Uzbekistan will continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Afghan people.

“We are convinced that the return of Afghanistan’s financial assets frozen abroad will serve to mitigate the social situation in the country,” he said.

, the Karabakh Declaration was adopted at the end of the Summit, as well as a number of agreements on priority areas of interaction between the member countries of the organization.