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Sarvar Kamolov
13/05/2025 18:09
New horizons of mutually beneficial and practical cooperation between the OTS countries
The OTS member states consider the format of cooperation within the framework of the Organization as one of the strategic vectors for the development of multilateral ties. In recent years, the dialog between the members of the OTS has received intensive impulses of development, as evidenced by institutional strengthening, expansion of areas of cooperation, and growth of economic indicators.
Today, within the framework of the OTS, cooperation has been established in 35 key areas, ranging from trade, economic and transport-transit relations to space research.
Firstly, the OTS, by uniting countries with high economic potential, provides an opportunity to strengthen economic integration and diversification. The Turkic states are interested in expanding mutual trade relations, using platform of the OTS to develop foreign trade and attract investment.
The volume of trade between the OTS countries has grown from $30.9 billion in 2022 to $45 billion in 2024. Over the past 4 years, the combined GDP of the association's participants has increased by 20% ($1,6 trillion), while foreign direct investment has grown by 22%.
In 2023, the Turkic Investment Fund was established with a capital of $500 million. In February 2025, the OTS countries agreed to increase the authorized capital of the Fund to $600 million. The capital increase was due to the accession of Hungary to the Fund, as well as support for mutual investments, development of entrepreneurship and stimulation of innovations.
At the same time, the establishment of the Turkic Green Finance Council and the Council of Central Banks of the Organization's member countries in 2024 strengthened the financial instruments of the OTS.
Secondly, the OTS countries are located at strategically important intersection points of various transportation routes, which makes them central participants in interregional transportation and logistics networks.
Turkic countries have unique geographical advantages, which, with proper infrastructure development, can significantly strengthen their role in the global economy. Thus, the volume of cargo transportation along the «Middle Corridor» increased by 62% in 2024, reaching 4,5 million tons. It is planned to increase the throughput capacity to 10 million tons of cargo per year by 2027.
In this context, strengthening transport and communication connectivity is of strategic importance for the intensification of trade between the OTS countries and their partners, as well as for integration into international transportation networks.
At the same time, the development of multimodal routes («Middle Corridor», «China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan», Trans-Afghan Corridor, etc.) passing through the OTS countries to the markets of neighboring regions - Asia-Pacific, Europe, South Asia, Africa becomes an important factor in achieving common economic prosperity within the Organization.
In recent years, the OTS countries have been actively working on the creation and development of transport infrastructure, improvement of transit services and expansion of cooperation in the field of logistics. In 2024, the Alliance of Logistics Centers and Cargo Carriers was established under the auspices of the OTS to promote the development of freight and logistics centers in the member countries.
In January 2025, The Union of International Road Carriers Associations is established to improve road transportation, address potential problems, and boost trade in the region covered by the OTS.
In addition to this, the parties are working on a project to create a Council of Railway Administrations under the OTS with a center in Tashkent. This will help strengthen transport interaction, reduce transportation costs, increase the volume of transit goods and improve logistics processes.
Thirdly, energy cooperation between the Turkic countries is one of the key areas of their interaction.
In recent years, the OTS countries have intensified cooperation in the energy sector, including the implementation of the tasks outlined in the «Turkic World Vision-2040» and the «Program on Energy Cooperation for 2023-2027».
Transferring the energy cooperation of the OTS countries to a more technological and sustainable basis, with an emphasis on energy diversification, development of renewable energy sources, is of great importance for improving the energy security of the region.
In this context, the topic of «green energy» and environmental sustainability is increasingly important on the global agenda, and the OTS countries are actively involved in this process. The development of sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions has not only environmental but also economic significance, as it opens up new opportunities for the export of clean energy and attracting investment. Thus, one of the successful examples in this area was the signing of «An Agreement on strategic partnership in the field of «green» energy between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on strategic partnership in the field of development and transmission of «green energy», including to consumers from third countries - EU countries. At the same time, the parties plan to lay a deep-sea cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea.
Recently, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to promote the «Caspian Green Energy Corridor».
The role of Uzbekistan in the development of multilateral relations in the OTS
Tashkent, having become a full-fledged member of the OTS, plays an important role in activating and increasing interaction between Turkic countries. In recent years, Uzbekistan has raised the status of relations with all the participants of the OTS: to the level of strategic relations with Turkmenistan and Hungary, comprehensive strategic partnership with Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, and alliance with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
Without any doubt, the transformation of this association and the enrichment of its agenda was greatly facilitated by the active position of Uzbekistan to strengthen comprehensive ties with the Turkic states and the practical initiatives of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev within the Organization.
In particular, Tashkent put forward about 80 specific proposals aimed at further developing multilateral interaction within the Organization.
An important role in strengthening multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Organization was played by the OTS summit held in Samarkand on November 11, 2022. A landmark event of the Samarkand summit was the adoption of the «The OTS Strategy 2022-2026», which became the first road map for the implementation of the concept of development of Turkic countries «Turkic World Vision-2040».
In addition, at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, the Charter of the Turkic World was developed and adopted, reflecting the unity and cohesion of the Turkic peoples, their great past, rich culture and original values.
The proposal of the Head of Uzbekistan to adopt the Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship and Fraternity of Turkic States will also create a solid foundation for further cooperation and integration in various spheres in the OTS.
It is important to emphasize that Uzbekistan, being one of the largest economies of Central Asia, is of strategic importance for strengthening the economic potential of the OTS.
In this context, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to establish within the framework of the OTS «Space of new economic opportunities» fully meets the goals and objectives set for the Organization to ensure the free promotion of trade, investment and services.
The Leader of Uzbekistan has also taken initiatives to develop multimodal transport routes and transportation services in the OTS. In the near future, it is planned to stimulate innovations in customs operations in the OTS space through the use of modern digital tools («e-TIR», «e-Permit» and «e-CMR»), as well as the liberalization of transit passes and simplification of administrative procedures.
The development of transit corridors and the implementation of joint logistics infrastructure projects is one of the strategic components of cooperation within the OTS. In this regard, the joint development of the «Middle Corridor» is taken into account, which allows diversifying the transit of goods from China to Europe and back.
At the same time, the construction of the railway «China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan» and its elimination with other promising transport projects on the surface of the OTS in transferring a large contribution to the restoration of the overland route from China to Europe, which passed through the territory of the Turkic countries and contributed to the development of mutual trade, cultural and spiritual exchange between peoples. Broad prospects also open up with the creation of the Trans-Afghan Corridor, which will provide an entirely new route to the markets of South Asia with a combined population of 1,9 billion people and GDP of 3,5 trillion doll.
At this stage, consolidation of efforts of the OTS countries in the field of digitalization and high technologies is relevant and in demand. At the same time, the proposal of the Leader of Uzbekistan to develop the «Concept of Digital Turkic World» is a strategically important step to deepen ties in this sphere. It is expected to stimulate the exchange of experience in the IT sphere, development of innovative ecosystems, digital infrastructure and data centers.
In addition, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s proposal to establish the Turkic Ecological Council reflects the importance of joint efforts in addressing global environmental challenges.
Such initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan to develop multilateral ties within the OTS demonstrate a visionary approach to solving common problems and opportunities in the Turkic world.
Strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Hungary as an important factor in the development of multidimensional ties in the framework of the OTS
Hungary, having an observer status in the OTG, continues to actively participate in its activities, which allows it to strengthen ties with Turkic countries in various promising directions.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly emphasized that «Hungary can offer the OTS countries a link to Europe».
Promoting the idea of turning Hungary into a bridge between the West and the East, Budapest actively participates in various events and projects within the OTS, regularly allocates educational grants at Hungarian universities for students from Turkic countries, promotes cooperation in the field of trade and investment through its instruments such as Eximbank, the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Hungary's unique position in Europe, as an EU member state, allows it to effectively serve as a bridge between the member states of the two associations. Hungary’s role as a bridge between the two regions is strategically important for creating sustainable and mutually beneficial ties in the future.
In this context, the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Hungary is an important area of foreign policy for both countries, which has been actively developing over the past few years. Over the past five years, the volume of trade between the two countries has doubled (to $200 million).
At present, the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and the Business Council, established in 2021, are operating effectively. Work is underway to launch an investment fund with the authorized capital of 150 million euros.
Such large Hungarian companies as «Gedeon Richter», «Meditop Pharmaceutical», «Inpark», «Bonafarm», «BDPST Group», «Bayer Construct Group» and others are successfully implementing joint projects in the fields of pharmaceuticals, chemistry, electrical engineering and agriculture, and the banking sector.
Despite their different geographical locations, Tashkent and Budapest have found many points of contact, and their cooperation covers a wide range of areas, from economy and trade to culture and education. Uzbek-Hungarian cooperation has also been an important factor for the development of mutually beneficial ties in the context of broader OTS cooperation.
Both countries share similar views on the development of multilateral relations within the OTS and recognize the importance of strengthening political, trade and economic, energy, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
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In the current changing global political and economic environment, the role of regional cooperation is more important than ever. In doing so, the upcoming OTS Summit in Hungary will open new horizons for the OTS region’s development, emphasizing the importance of integration and cooperation in a changing world.
Budapest will also play an important role in linking the OTS countries to Europe by providing new trade routes and strengthening the comprehensive partnership between the sides.
Moreover, this summit will provide a platform for the OTS states to share best practices, discuss innovative approaches to infrastructure development, digital transformation, support to small and medium-sized enterprises, and expand cultural and educational ties.
This event will also open new opportunities for establishing partnerships, building trust and deepening integration among the participants, thus creating a solid foundation for the formation of a more sustainable, interconnected and competitive region of OTS.
Thus, the current stage in the development and activities of the OTS shows the demand for this organization, as well as its ability to preserve and increase the overall economic and socio-cultural potential of the Turkic countries.
The principle of multilevel consolidation and integration operating in the OTS area allows each member of the Organization to find its place in it. At the same time, in the future there will be a tendency towards greater coordination of efforts of the Turkic countries, especially in trade and economic, transport and transit, energy and other spheres. This partnership can create new forms of interaction and improve communication between the OTS countries.
The author is the Chief research fellow of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.