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caspian policy center holds an ambassadorial briefing in washington, d.c to discuss the organization of turkic states following the 8th summit of turkic council in turkey

Caspian Policy Center Holds an Ambassadorial Briefing in Washington, D.C To Discuss the Organization of Turkic States Following the 8th Summit of Turkic Council in Turkey

Author: Caspian Policy Center

Dec 2, 2021

The Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan briefed members of the U.S. policymaking community on the Organization of Turkic States following the Summit of Turkic Council on November 12. 

WASHINGTON, D.C — On December 1, the Caspian Policy Center hosted H.E. Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ambassador Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, H.E. Baktybek Amanbayev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Hasan Murat Mercan, Ambassador of Turkey, and H.E. Javlon Vakhabov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United States to brief members of the policymaking community on the Organization of Turkic States. 

The briefing focused on the purpose and goals of the Organization of Turkic States, previously known as the Turkic Council or Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States.  

Caspian Policy Center’s CEO Efgan Nifti opened the event with welcome remarks, noting the importance of the Organization of Turkic States in helping foster regional connectivity and bridge gaps among member states. 

Caspian Policy Center Senior Fellow Ambassador (ret.) Allan Mustard noted that regional cooperation has been a policy goal of the United States in the region, indicating support for the Organization of Turkic States in Washington.  

The ambassadors highlighted the purpose of the Organization of Turkic States is to promote regional connectivity, build upon cultural and linguistic ties, and optimize trade corridors.  

Caspian Policy Center Senior Fellow Ambassador (ret.) Richard Hoagland expanded upon the idea of regional unity and posed the question of members of the Turkic Council possibly forming a regional bloc.  

The speakers clarified that the Organization of Turkic States is not a bloc to exclude any country but rather another way to increase international engagement between the countries in the Organization and outside of it.   

It was emphasized that the Organization of Turkic States provides an opportunity to reduce trade barriers and simplify customs procedures among member states. The combined economy of the members of Organization of Turkic States would be one of the largest in the world, however, the participants acknowledged that logistical inefficiencies remain a problem within the Organization and with external partners worldwide.  

The Organization of Turkic States provides a forum to optimize member economies. Several Ambassadors noted that the Organization creates an opportunity to facilitate people-to-people exchanges among member states and build their tourism sectors. 

The ambassadors noted that people hailing from the member states have long historical ties and the Organization of Turkic States, and the Turkic Council before it, which has helped to rekindle those ties after the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the discussants, the Organization of Turkic States, is not a military alliance nor an exclusive bloc, as many member states have committed to a neutral foreign policy. 

ABOUT CASPIAN POLICY CENTER 

The Caspian Policy Center (CPC) is an independent, nonprofit research think tank based in Washington D.C. Economic, political, energy, and security issues of the Caspian region constitute the central research focus of the Center. CPC aims at becoming a primary research and debate platform in the Caspian region with relevant publications, events, projects, and media productions to nurture a comprehensive understanding of the intertwined affairs of the Caspian region.  

With an inclusive, scholarly, and innovative approach, the Caspian Policy Center presents a platform where diverse voices from academia, business, and the policy world from both the region and the nation’s capital interact to produce distinct ideas and insights about the outstanding issues of the Caspian region.  Learn more at caspianpolicy.org

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