The 1st Meeting of Ministers of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Organization of Turkic States was held, and a Joint Declaration was adopted based on the outcomes of the meeting.
The 1st Meeting of Ministers of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Istanbul. An Azerbaijani delegation, led by Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, participated in the event.
Turkey's Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, welcomed the guests and wished success to the meeting. He expressed hope that the discussions and bilateral meetings would be productive and contribute to further strengthening future relations.
The Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, Kubanychbek Omuraliyev, emphasized the importance of cooperation driven by the historical and cultural bonds among member states. He expressed confidence that the meeting would play a significant role in strengthening mutual collaboration.
In his speech at the meeting, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov expressed gratitude to brotherly Turkey for its warm hospitality. He noted that strengthening joint efforts among Turkic states ensures the welfare, economic growth, and sustainable development of their countries. Azerbaijan highly values cooperation with Turkic states and supports integration processes within the Turkic world. He emphasized that today’s event in Istanbul will be significant for evaluating opportunities to boost initiatives in non-oil industry development, trade and investment promotion, SME growth, the application of modern technologies, science, innovation, and digitalization.
It was noted that the document "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" identifies "Clean Environment and Green Growth Country" as one of the priority areas. This plan emphasizes the importance of applying environmentally friendly technologies, promoting waste recycling, restoring polluted areas, and expanding the use of eco-friendly "green" technologies. Additionally, measures to accelerate development include establishing new industrial zones by the state in the territories liberated from occupation, adopting favorable incentive packages for entrepreneurs in these areas, and designating the region as a green energy zone.
The Minister of Economy highlighted various global initiatives announced by our country, which will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this November.
It was noted at the event that investments play a significant role in ensuring economic development and macroeconomic stability for the Turkic States Organization (TSO) countries. Building on this, important progress has been made in recent years in the area of investments among TSO countries, with the establishment of the Turkic Investment Fund to stimulate economic development among member states. Additionally, the investment funds created between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will contribute to the economic growth of these countries and improve living standards
The minister also emphasized the importance of establishing Green SME Resource Centers and supporting Research and Development (R&D) activities, as well as institutional platforms that will facilitate access to technology, knowledge, and financial resources. He proposed holding the next meeting of the Ministers of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Turkic States Organization (TSO) countries in Azerbaijan. This proposal was accepted by the participating countries. During the meeting, representatives of the member states delivered speeches, and a Joint Declaration was adopted, summarizing the outcomes of the first meeting of the TSO Ministers of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
