The Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States has been held at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center in Gabala.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Sapardurdu Toyliyev, who are visiting Gabala to participate in the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States.

The heads of state posed for an official photo.

President Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan, which hosted the previous summit of the organization last year, thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the excellent organization of the event. He expressed his confidence that the organization would achieve further success in the upcoming period of its activity and said that presidency in the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States for the next year was being transferred to Azerbaijan.

Then the floor was given to President Ilham Aliyev.

Speech by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

- Thank you, dear Almazbek Sharshenovich!

I express my gratitude to you for the transfer of Presidency in the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States for the next year to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Distinguished heads of state, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends! I sincerely welcome all of you to Azerbaijan.

First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the Kyrgyz Republic and President Atambayev personally for the successful Presidency in the Cooperation Council over the past year. I think that over the past year our collaboration has become even deeper. The successful leadership of Kyrgyzstan has given a powerful impetus to the activities of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States. I am confident that our cooperation will further deepen, expand and rise to a new level in the coming years. I warmly welcome all our guests to the ancient Azerbaijani city of Gabala.

I remember the last time the summit was held in another ancient Azerbaijani city - Nakhchivan. The holding of these summits in different cities is a kind of exploratory nature, while at the same time further strengthening the solidarity between our countries and peoples. Turkic peace in the world increases, the Turkic world covers a large geography. Of course, our people have yet to get to know each other, cooperation should be carried out more intensively.

I remember that the previous summit in Azerbaijan was held in another ancient Azerbaijani city – Nakhchivan. The fact that these summits are held in different cities has a somewhat familiarization function. But at the same time, it further strengthens the solidarity between our countries and peoples. The Turkic world is strengthening on the planet. The Turkic world covers a large geographical space. Of course, our peoples should get to know each other even better and our cooperation should be carried out more broadly.

I am very proud to say that when the summit was held in Nakhchivan, a new format of cooperation among Turkic-speaking states was established. The organization of such a format within the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States opened up a new stage of our cooperation. The third summit is now being held. I am confident that these summits will be held regularly in the future.

Our peoples are linked by a common history, culture and values. For centuries, our peoples have maintained a close relationship with each other, lived and worked together, and always supported each other. And today, as independent states, we are and should be together on all issues. I believe that the main objective of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States is to further strengthen the unity between our countries and peoples.

We are successfully carrying out activities in the bilateral format. In the economic sphere we are engaged in effective cooperation. Our countries always support each other in the international arena and within international organizations, which is natural. After all, fraternal peoples must always be next to each other. In the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international organizations we mostly advocate a single position. Of course, this further increases our strength and makes us stronger.

Today we will work in several directions. We will discuss a number of important issues. Of course, the key issue for the successful development of our countries is that of regional security.

Our countries are contributing to regional security. This is a very important matter. Our peoples live in peace, tranquility and stability. We have to make sure that our region always remains a region of peace and tranquility. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan has been suffering from the Armenian occupation for many years. Twenty percent of Azerbaijani lands are under occupation. Our internationally recognized territorial integrity has been violated. Our people have been exposed to a policy of ethnic cleansing. All norms of international law have been flagrantly violated.

The soonest and just settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of international law will put an end to this injustice and, at the same time, will contribute to regional security. This conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The joint declaration to be adopted today reflects these principles, for which I wish to express my gratitude to my colleagues.

Yesterday we attended a wonderful concert, which reflected a part of our culture. In essence, it was a concert of friendship and unity of Turkic culture. Our cultures are closely related to each other. We have common roots and holidays. Our languages are similar to each other. The humanitarian sphere forms the basis of our cooperation. In other words, if this were not the case, then perhaps our cooperation would not be developed to the same extent. Therefore, we should pay a lot of attention to the work in the humanitarian field, of course. I want to emphasize the activities of TURKSOY. TURKSOY is actively working not only in Turkic-speaking countries, but also in all Turkic lands, thus contributing to the unity of the Turkic world. I am very pleased that the initiative put forward by Azerbaijan is already being implemented. The soonest establishment of the Foundation for the Support of Turkic culture and preservation of the Turkic heritage would be a very important development.

At the same time, the potential of our countries in the economic sphere is growing by the year. Our countries are working closely with each other. Various economic projects are being implemented. I can say that Azerbaijan, for its part, is making effort for the successful development of economic and infrastructure projects. The implementation of ambitious infrastructure projects in the region started from Azerbaijan. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline paved the way for the opening of international energy and transport corridors. For the first time in history, the Caspian Sea was connected to the Mediterranean. This historic event was a great achievement in itself. But at the same time it has led to the realization of other important projects. The activities in the transport and energy sectors cannot be separated from each other today. The revitalization of the Great Silk Road is already a reality. We are enriching this Silk Road and improving it with new infrastructure projects.

The cooperation in the oil and gas sector brings our countries closer together. Our countries have natural resources, sophisticated infrastructure and excellent export routes. The consolidation of these efforts, of course, will lead to the strengthening of the Turkic world. Azerbaijan is already playing the role of a transit country for our brothers, for the countries located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. This is also an important issue. So these projects bring our peoples and economies closer together.

Our cooperation in the oil and gas sector is multifaceted. All countries are successfully cooperating with each other. Of course, one of the issues on the agenda today is the improvement of the transport infrastructure. A great deal has been done through joint efforts in this direction – both in the bilateral and trilateral formats. The implementation of various transportation projects, of course, requires a lot of resources. But the economic development of our countries is very rapid. The financial position of our countries is also secure. Therefore, we should definitely allocate funds for the implementation of major transportation projects in the future too. Among them, I want to emphasize the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway connecting Europe with Asia. This railway will link continents. Our countries will become transit states. This railway will serve our peoples for centuries to come. This is a huge geopolitical and geo-economic project, a project of cooperation. I am confident that we will celebrate completion of this project in the near future, next year, thus reviving the historic Silk Road.

There are other projects as well. I am aware that member-countries of the Cooperation Council are implementing major transport projects that are of great importance for every country. Together, these projects are creating a new transport map of the region.

Today, our countries are developing successfully and confidently. Unfortunately, the developments in different parts of the world, including the Muslim world, are going in different directions. There are confrontations, civil wars and other negative phenomena. But in our region, in the Turkic world, there is stability and development. This is a great achievement and a great asset, especially when we consider that the financial and economic crisis is still ongoing in the world. I think that the successful development of our countries, the stability and progress of countries are a great achievement of our people, a great asset of our countries. We should cherish this treasure, cherish and develop it together. The 21stcentury must be a century of the Turkic world. Our countries have strong potential, joint activities and such a very important format of cooperation as the Cooperation Council. We need to strengthen these positive trends. I believe that today's summit serves these ideas. The summit will produce excellent results.

Now I suggest that we adopt the agenda. The agenda is in front of you. If there are no other proposals, the agenda is considered adopted.

I would now like to invite the distinguished heads of state and heads of delegations to make their remarks. The floor is given to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Speech of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev

- Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I want to share with you some of my thoughts regarding the present and future activities of the Council. First of all, in order to raise the profile of the Turkic Council, we should make every effort to form its institutional framework as an organization. To do this, we should speed up the ratification of some of the key documents. The activities of the main working body of the Turkic Council, the Secretariat, are extremely important for us. This work is being done thanks to the hard work of the first Secretary General of the organization, Halil Akinci. We appreciate his work towards establishing cooperation between Turkic states.

Second, it is necessary to strengthen the mutually beneficial economic cooperation between brotherly nations and neighboring countries. At present, the gross domestic product of six independent Turkic states constitutes $1,150 billion. Despite that, the trade turnover between our countries does not correspond to our potential. For example, according to data as of 2012, the volume of trade between Kazakhstan and Turkic states amounted to only $8 billion, which is only 6 per cent of our turnover.

At the end of last year, Kazakhstan adopted a development strategy up to 2050. We have set ourselves the task of becoming one of the world’s 30 most developed countries. This is a major and ambitious goal. But we have all the prerequisites for achieving it. Systematic work is under way in our country on the program of accelerated industrialization. In the past 18 months alone we have commissioned 560 projects totaling around $14 billion. More than 60,000 new jobs have been created as a result. We have completed the work in the first five years and will continue it over the next five years.

We attach great importance to the use of new energy sources and the development of a "green economy". As you know, there are plans to conduct the International Exhibition "Expo-2017" in Astana. This has special significance. I am sure that all Turkic-speaking states will take an active part in this large-scale event. This helps open up opportunities for the development of tourism, which is an important direction for all of us. It is necessary to exchange experience in this sphere, train professionals together and identify directions of a common way forward. To this end, I suggest establishing a working group within the Secretariat for the development of tourism.

Third, we need to pay attention to the development of communications among member-states of the Turkic Council.

Transport and communications should form the basis for the development of our economic power. It is no coincidence that this meeting is dedicated to this topic. We plan to double the transit through Kazakhstan by 2020 and increase it 10 times by 2050. In the future, we plan to raise cargo transit through our country to 50 million tons a year. The necessary work is being done to achieve that.

In 2011, together with Russia, China and Germany, we launched container train "Chongqing-Duisburg", which extends from China to Germany via Kazakhstan. If we compare it to the sea route, it is half as short. There are plans to build new air, sea, motor, railways and pipelines that will connect Europe to the Pacific Ocean through our region.

Trade with China is reaching $30 billion. On the border with China there are our "Eastern Gates",the center for cross-border cooperation "Khorgos". Across this border we are implementing projects on expanding the Aktau seaport. These projects play the role of the "Western Gate", which gives us access to the Caspian region and beyond –to Russia and Europe. Thus, our countries can use the paths through Kazakhstan to Europe. In the future, terminal infrastructure will be built in the Chinese port of Lianyungang on the Yellow Sea. Thanks to the development of cooperation between the seaports of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, we have had the opportunity to increase the transport capacity of the Caspian Sea. In this regard, we support the holding of the first meeting of the ministers of transport and communications. We know that this meeting took place recently and look forward to some positive decisions.

In 2015, we plan to open the transcontinental automobile corridor "Western Europe-Western China", which passes through Kazakhstan. It is a 2,700-km corridor, and the project will be realized in 2015. In May of this year, we officially docked the Kazakh-Turkmen section of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway. Next year we will be able to reach the port of Bandar Abbas, when Iran completes work on its territory. We look forward to the soonest commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Prior to this, all our transport ministers and heads of state have to resolve all the necessary issues. There are various obstacles that need to be addressed. This route is very important for us. Also quite important is the project of multimodal container trains within the TRACECA international transport corridor. To do this, we must prepare the conditions for a new port in Aktau. To further increase bilateral trade, we need to strengthen relations in the field of customs. To do this, we must effectively use international advanced technology.

Fourth, it is necessary to further develop the cooperation between brotherly countries in the spheres of education, science and culture. We should widely promote such qualities of the Turkic world as tolerance, humanism and morality.

We must actively participate in the work of TURKSOY, the Turkic Academy, the Foundation of Turkish culture and heritage. The Turkic Academy has great potential in facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience, joint training of specialists in Turkic languages and studying the Turkic heritage. On the decision of the first summit of the Turkic Council in Almaty, the "Turkic world" almanac is published every year. You have probably received it. Also of great importance is the "Anthology of Turkish education" prepared by the Academy. This year, the city of Turkestan will host the first international symposium called "The Turkic world today: the real situation and prospects for development". We expect scholars from all Turkic-speaking states to take an active part in this important event. A key role in the promotion of art and culture of the Turkic peoples is played by TURKSOY. This year we will celebrate the 20thanniversary of the establishment of this organization.

Therefore, dear friends, dear brothers, we have specific work to do to expand our economic cooperation and to show our peoples and the whole world that we are doing useful work.

Dear colleagues and brothers! At today's meeting we have passed presidency in the organization from our Kyrgyz friends on to Azerbaijani brothers. In this regard, we express our gratitude to President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev and wish President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev every success in the development of the Council’s activities. We wish you success and support this work. Let the unity of our countries be strong and our independence eternal.

I wish you all happiness and prosperity! Let Turkic states be united!

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. And now the floor is given to the President of Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Almazbek Atambayev.

Speech by President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev

- Dear colleagues!

We have the same history and, God willing, our future will also be common. Nursultan Nazarbayev supported one idea in Bishkek last year, and he has just spoken about it again – the idea of the railway. If we implement it, it will be good because this railway will link Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Going in the opposite direction, i.e. starting in Turkey, this road could pass through the territory of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and further to China’s Kashgar. It is also home to many Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, and we could do them a great favor. And then the cooperation between our peoples could increase. This is a very good idea. If we implement these ideas and projects, it will help to strengthen our unity. If we build these roads, our peoples will get closer to each other and our future will be united.

I think that instead of tackling many different projects and not completing them, we should undertake smaller but strong and very important projects. If we all make effort and finalize these projects, it would be a great contribution to our common good in the future.

Nursultan Nazarbayevhas said a lot as an elder here, and I do not want to repeat that. I wholeheartedly subscribe to his words. It is my hope that there will come a time –either for us or for our children –when we will talk to each other without interpreters.

I think that what we are creating now, the unity of Turkic states, will produce a very good result in the future. We, Turkic peoples, are proud of Turkey, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan today, which serve as examples of economic development for the entire world. Your countries have made great achievements. We feel proud and admire you. I would like to wish the countries you are heading to flourish, develop and achieve even better results in the future.

We do hope that such good projects as the railway I mentioned will be brought to the end in the future.

God bless us! Thank you all!

President Ilham Aliyev: And now the floor is given to the President of Turkey, Mr. Abdullah Gul.

Speech by President of Turkey Abdullah Gul

- Dear brothers!

Dear Presidents!

Dear ministers!

I am very happy and pleased to be in Gabala, one of the historical cities of the Land of Fire, Azerbaijan, where the Nakhchivan Declaration was signed, becoming a declaration on the establishment of the Turkic Council. I express my appreciation and congratulations to my dear brother, President Aliyev and our Azerbaijani brothers who are conducting the third summit of the Turkic Council four years after the historic Nakhchivan summit.

We are proud to see every-day and comprehensive development of Azerbaijan under the wise leadership of my dear brother President Ilham Aliyev. Your country is taking very important steps. I also want to thank you for receiving us in the city of Gabala, where thanks to the excellent architectural activity you have raised this natural beauty to the top of the mountains. We are having a truly great time among the natural beauty here.

The summits of the Turkic Council are the most effective indicator of our unity, solidarity and the shared dream of our fraternal peoples. The decisions and messages we will adopt will serve the common aspirations and expectations of our fraternal peoples. In this sense, I am very grateful to my dear brother, Mr. Nazarbayev, who has made a very important contribution to turning the process of summits we started in 1992 into an organized structure. His truly sincere efforts have made a huge contribution to the formation of the organization.

At the same time, I am very grateful to my dear brother, President of Kyrgyzstan Mr. Atambayev who organized last year's summit, for the constructive role he plays within the Turkic Council. On the other hand, I do hope that our Uzbek and Turkmen brothers take the seats they very much deserve in a very short time. I am very pleased that our brother, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, is also among us today.

The Turkic Council we established in 2009 thanks to the Nakhchivan declaration has strengthened as an organization in a short time. My dear brothers, I also want to thank Secretary General, Ambassador Akinci and the secretariat staff for the systematic and decisive activities on the basis of strong political will.

Of course, the constant strengthening and development of other units of the Turkic Council, as my dear brother Mr.

Nazarbayev has said, such as TURKPA, the Turkic Academy and TURKSOY, is our greatest wish.

Dear brothers! The "Turkic world" is a concept that has a deep historical significance. The values bequeathed to us by our common ancestors, as well as our consciousness developed by culture, have defined not only our past, identity and mentality, but also our dreams focusing on the future. Today, the values related to a single nationality include not only our common language, a common religion, a common history, a common culture or our countries, but also our dream and determination to build a bright future together. The genuine solidarity between our peoples will never be based on ethnic, separatist and aggressive foundation. The Turkic world forms an important part of a great culture. The cooperation and solidarity demonstrated between us, the Turkic states, will undoubtedly contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the African-Eurasian region.

The cooperation between our countries, which we are carrying out under the slogan of "six states, one nation", continues to develop on the basis of equality and mutual respect. On the basis of this brotherhood and the spirit of unity, I have paid 19 visits to brotherly Turkic states as President in the last six years. At the same time, my brothers Presidents have repeatedly honored us by visiting our country.

The close ties we are showing at the level of Presidents, of course, have given an impetus to other visits of cooperation.

Many projects have been implemented in this area. The solidarity between us both at the regional level and within international organizations has always served as an example. We have constantly supported each other, showed the example of strong solidarity everywhere and considered each other’s success as a source of pride for others.

Nowadays, the need for cooperation and solidarity is stronger than ever before. The joint struggle against problems and difficulties we are facing and the use of equal opportunities is feasible only through collective effort. The Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States emerged as a result of broader cooperation and solidarity between our countries and an established mechanism of discussions. I have no doubt that within the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking countries we will carry out important projects that will help us materialize the great potential of the Turkic world.

During the Almaty summit we held discussions on economic cooperation, while in Bishkek we spoke about cooperation in education, science and culture. After both summits, important steps were taken in these areas. Our honorable ministers and those responsible for this have done effective work to implement our instructions.

To facilitate extensive collaboration and integration among countries and nations in the globalizing world, the main issues are effective transportation and communication. The integration of the Turkic world in the economic and cultural spheres is closely connected with the implementation of projects that will connect the transport infrastructure of our countries. Therefore, the choice of cooperation in the field of transport as the theme of discussion at the Gabala summit is a very successful one. Our countries are located on the strategic line which passes through the Caucasus, Central Asia and China, linking Europe with the East and East Asia. Turkey is working on the security of the railway routes that will become an alternative to the current lines between the East and West. The most important part of this project, which is called a "Modern Silk Road" or a "common corridor", is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project we are carrying out in conjunction with Azerbaijan. Work on these major projects, which will change the situation in the region, is powering ahead. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, by creating the possibility of high-speed communication between member-countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, will make a great contribution to the development of our economic and trade ties. Great efforts are being made to complete the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project as soon as possible. Our transport ministers hold regular meetings. On 15 August, our transport ministers provided an update on the situation. It is also important to extend this project – the accelerated development of the existing sea link between the ports of Baku, Aktau in Kazakhstan and Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan. An important step in this direction has been made by the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of maritime traffic between the sister ports of Baku, Aktau and Samsun signed within the framework of a meeting of our Ministers of Transport in Baku in early July. Our goal is to include the port of Turkmenbashi in this framework. Following the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which forms the basis of a "common corridor", there will be a direct link from China to Europe via Central Asia. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project will be completed in 2014. In October of this year, we will open the "Marmaray" project, which will cost around $4.5 billion. A train departing from Western Europe will reach the shores of the Caspian Sea and then, after passing through the port of Aktau, reach Shanghai and Seoul. This will create a direct rail link from England to China. The construction of this road will improve the welfare of our peoples. It will be a really big project of strategic importance.

My dear brother Nursultan Nazarbayev raised these issues a little earlier. We have discussed the issue of Kyrgyzstan joining the project Kazakhstan has a great interest in. I have no doubt that we, members of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, will have the opportunity to strengthen our cooperation thanks to the railway lines. We are all greatly interested in this project. Excellencies have shown great interest in this issue. Finished products from China will also be transported via this railway. We can actually say that the goods are ready. Inshallah, following Turkmenistan’s accession to this project our countries will actually have a railway communication.

On the other hand, overland communication between our countries is also very important. It is important to simplify ground transportation, standardize operations and carry out the necessary work at the most important customs checkpoints. If we do not modernize our customs services, then there will be congestions on the railway and roads. To do this, our customs offices should be upgraded to the level of a single standard. I think that this is important for the development of our economic and trade cooperation. The throughput capacity of ports on the Caspian Sea will soon be increased, because such ports already exist in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The start of maritime traffic through the ports must be our priority in this area. All these are specific projects. In addition, these are projects that will serve all of us both individually and as a whole.

Dear brothers! The shift of the center of global economic potential from the Atlantic towards the Pacific Ocean is undeniable. This has naturally increased the geo-economic importance of the Turkic world. The economic and demographic potential of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with a total territory of 4.8 million square kilometers is seventh largest in the world. Our population of 140 million people is in ninth and total production value of $1.5 trillion in 13thplace in the world. The economic indicators of the Turkic world fall short of the geographic and demographic potential it has on a global scale. This also points to the importance of a continuous expansion of our economic development. If we look at history, we can see that in the days when Turkic states were strong and powerful, the Silk Road was the main route of global trade. And when the Turkic world stayed away from the global economy and trade routes, its impact on the political and cultural spheres decreased. Those familiar with history know that. In this sense, the Silk Road is the key to economic prosperity and greater political influence of the Turkic world. Therefore, the revival of the Silk Road must be a strategic priority.

In the modern sense, the Silk Road means a revival of the historic Silk Road, this time with broad transport arteries, energy corridors and pipelines. Our main priority should be the transformation of the Turkic world into one of the central regions of the global economy through various projects. I believe that thanks to the projects we will implement in the next few years we will complete an important stage in this area. Your support in this matter, dear brothers, is the guarantor of that.

Distinguished heads of state, dear members! We are all interested in maintaining political and diplomatic solidarity between us, member-countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, at the highest level. The top priority of foreign policy issues for the Turkic world is the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The current situation, when 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands are under occupation, is unacceptable. We will do our best for a speedy and peaceful resolution of the conflict within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It is our fraternal duty to support you until cessation of this illegal occupation and aggressive policy. To date, Azerbaijan has organized many Turkic summits. Our biggest dream is to conduct another summit in one of the beautiful cities of Karabakh after the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I am sure that nature there is as beautiful as here.

Dear brothers, dear Presidents! Our biggest dream is that all countries of the Turkic world are represented at the Fourth Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, which we will hold in Turkey next year. In this sense, we will look forward to the participation of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the next summit. With these feelings and thoughts I cordially greet you, dear Presidents and Ministers and wish all our fraternal people happiness, prosperity and peace!

President Ilham Aliyev: And now the floor is given to the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Mr. Sapardurdu Toyliyev.

Speech by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Sapardurdu Toyliyev

-Mr. Chairman!

Excellencies!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Please allow me to convey to you and all the participants of the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States greetings and gratitude for the invitation on behalf of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and wish you all success and prosperity.

I am honored to address such an important and significant event. We all have a common heritage by strengthening which we can further deepen the all-round cooperation among our peoples in the interests of peace and stability in the region and around the world.

According to modern linguistic science, more than 100 million people around the world speak a Turkic language. The unity of language, mind and enhanced integration further unite us and contribute to greater understanding.

Dear participants of the meeting! Modern Turkmenistan is a dynamically developing state. The course of the President of Turkmenistan is aimed at innovation, industrial development of the country and creation of a competitive economy, which should serve as the foundation of social welfare.

Turkmenistan is actively mastering the best international practices, attracting new technology, studying innovation and widely introducing it to practice. In a relatively short period of time we have built our economy in line with international standards and created a favorable system of international relations based on the principles of neutrality, mutually beneficial cooperation and humanism.

Turkmenistan is an integral part of the Turkic world, whose cultural heritage has made an invaluable contribution to the global civilization. The development of our cultures at the present stage, the communication of our cultural heritage from one generation to another is a continuation of self-renewal of our civilization, which ensures its sustainability.

For example, the symbol of unification of our peoples is the Great Silk Road, the importance of which has been increasing over time not only because it is reborn in a modern format, but because a commonness of history and culture is emerging in our minds.

One of the factors in the preservation, study and promotion of our common cultural heritage is the humanitarian contacts.

Turkmenistan has a wealth of experience in international cooperation, much of which belongs to cooperation with Turkic-speaking countries. A confirmation of the unity of our peoples is the annual celebration of the Turkic holiday of Novruz. I would like to emphasize the grand celebration of Novruz in the ancient Turkmen land. This event is yet another testament to the immutable historical and cultural ties between our nations aimed at establishing peace and harmony in the region.

Speaking of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, it is necessary to note the active participation of representatives of Turkic-speaking countries in scientific and cultural events held in Turkmenistan. Days of culture, scientific conferences, exhibitions and meetings are held throughout the year. The literary and philosophical heritage of our classics are studied and translated. Thus, dozens of classical works of Turkmen poetry by Molla-Nepes and Andalib have been translated into Azerbaijani and published. On the eve of the 290th birthday anniversary of great Turkmen poet Magtymguly, Azerbaijan and Turkey conducted days of poetry dedicated to his classical works. In May of this year, we attended the presentation of a book by President of Turkmenistan called "Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan" in the Kazakh language in Astana.

Our countries have been stepping up scientific cooperation with every year. Turkmenistan has signed agreements on scientific cooperation with almost all the Turkic-speaking countries. Today, these relations are characterized by extensive contacts among scientific organizations and scientists. On 30 May 2013, the Government of Turkmenistan and the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination (TICA) signed a protocol on cooperation in the search for the tomb of Soltan Alp Arslan and the construction of his mausoleum.

Over the past year, the scientific events in our country have been attended by hundreds of scientists from research centers and universities of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey. Young Turkmens are getting acquainted with the culture and science of fraternal peoples by studying at the universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. Representatives of these fraternal peoples study in Turkmenistan. We are convinced that further development of scientific and technical relations between our countries, the identification of promising innovative, scientific and technological areas will contribute to further growth and improvement of multilateral relations.

Dear participants of the meeting, in the conditions of globalization and modern challenges, our civilization has preserved its original force, is moving forward and educating the younger generation in the spirit of humanistic values. I am convinced that our meeting in the hospitable land of Azerbaijan will bring real benefits and serve to further develop the process of integration among our states, spiritual enrichment and rapprochement of our peoples.

Thank you for your attention.

President Ilham Aliyev: And now the floor is given to the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, Halil Akinci.

Speech by Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States Halil Akinci

- Thank you, Mr. President!

Dear Presidents!

Dear Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Turkmenistan!

Dear ministers and other participants of the meeting!

I am honored to address the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in Gabala. After the first in the city of Almaty in 2011, where issues of economic cooperation were discussed, we held the second summit last year to discuss the cooperation in scientific, educational and cultural spheres. And this year we have discussed the issues of international transport.

Over the past year following the Bishkek Summit, the Secretariat has sought to achieve the targets set in accordance with your instructions, continued the implementation of cooperation based on close ties and aimed at obtaining specific results.

The goal is to transform the existing comprehensive bilateral cooperation between member-states into an expanded multilateral cooperation. For three years we have been striving to remove the obstacles in the way of our cooperation and then take important steps to strengthen this cooperation. At the same time, we identify new areas of cooperation and gather all of our work in a single document. By using this method, we try not to cause harm to the existing laws of our member-countries.

The aspects I will mention in my speech are present in a more than 300-page report I have submitted on the annual activities. It contains detailed information.

More than 20 extensive meetings were held between the summits in Bishkek and Gabala. In general, I have participated in most of more than 100 events held in different cities. Six meetings were organized last year. Within this framework, along with the economic cooperation, we continued cooperation in scientific, educational and cultural spheres.

Close cooperation with our respective structures, such as TurkPA, the Turkic Academy and TURKSOY, has been continued. On the other hand, after the establishment of the Secretariat, another important issue is to give TURKSOY, which provides great support for the development and promotion of a common culture, a sustainable status with international consent and the protection of workers' rights.

A lot has happened since the Bishkek summit. A Union of Turkic Universities has been set up and the first meeting of the Committee of common terminology has been held. The decisions passed include provision for general use in research works of the Latin alphabet based on the alphabet approved at the first Turkological congress held in Baku in 1926. In addition to the accepted general terms, this alphabet is used in the correspondence of the Secretariat and related entities. Given the differences in place names in Turkic languages, the agenda of the committee includes preparation of a map of place names in a common Turkic language with the support of the Turkic Academy.

Another important point is the ongoing process of cooperation between the Diasporas of member-countries. We have a lot of Diasporas, and if they join forces, their voice will be heard more effectively. The meetings of the leaders of the Diaspora Committee held in Baku and Ankara adopted a strategy of joint activities of Turkic-speaking Diasporas.

The First Forum of the leaders of Diaspora organizations of member-countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking countries held in Baku in June was attended by over 600 Diaspora representatives from nearly 50 countries. In the future, we plan to create a regional structure in this area.

Distinguished heads of state! In accordance with your instructions, we have intensified our efforts in the transport and customs areas over the past year. Work is continuing to reduce the waiting time at the customs border and to extend the system of "one window". Within the framework of cooperation in the transport sector, transport ministers gathered in Baku this year. The attending transport ministers signed a protocol on cooperation. In order to address the emerging problems, the meeting decided to establish a coordination structure at the level of deputy ministers.

Transport and customs are areas of joint cooperation. The soonest completion of Silk Road, "Caravanserai", Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and "Marmaray" projects carried out by member-countries at the international or regional level is essential to our common interests. The development of transport routes through the Caspian Sea will transform member-countries of our organization into a global transit and trade center. The issue of improving the legislation of member-states is now on the agenda.

In the time between the last two summits, issues of foreign policy cooperation have come to the foreground. The foreign ministers of Turkic-speaking countries met informally in New York and Cairo. A good example of the growing cooperation in foreign policy is the fact that member-countries voted in the same manner at the UN General Assembly.

The Protocol on Cooperation signed on by foreign ministers at the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in Gabala on 15 August will serve the development of our relations in this field. The participation of one Turkic state in the UN Security Council at all times and the UN Security Council’s condemnation, on Azerbaijan's initiative, of the attack on the Turkish embassy in Somalia are of great importance from the point of view of defending our common interests. The first phase of discussions of customs issues among member-states in Baku in April is an example of the expansion of our foreign political cooperation. After the meeting, our common position on Afghanistan was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan at the ministerial conference within the framework of the "Istanbul Process" in Almaty.

The agenda of the Secretariat includes the expansion of cooperation with third parties. Within these frames, an observer status has been obtained at the Organization for Economic Cooperation. An official request for observer status has been sent to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Along with this, there is a need for greater support of member-countries for the initiative to obtain an observer status at the UN General Assembly.

On the other hand, it would be a useful to include Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which are potential members of the Council and are invited by the Secretariat to all its meetings, in the process of cooperation. The ministers of transport and other ministers are awaiting the instructions of the heads of state in respect of the accession of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to technical meetings. There are positive decisions on this issue.

As you know, we rely on the support of member-countries in all spheres. Along with the agreement on financial basics signed at the Bishkek summit in 2012, it was necessary to complete work in all member-countries on the founding treaties of the Foundation of Turkic cultural heritage and the Turkic Academy.

Distinguished heads of state! As you will see in the books distributed to you, the Turkic Academy has published important works in the last three years. Along with this, the Turkic Academy was instructed to prepare books on the teaching of general Turkic history and literature in schools. The approval and implementation of the agreement on the activities of the Turkic Academy as an international entity will further enhance its influence. After the Gabala summit, the Secretariat will rapidly develop this structure and continue the coordination between relevant organizations of member-countries to discuss the agenda. Within this framework we will work to implement new assignments given by the respected heads of state in Gabala. We will organize meetings of ministers of education and tourism, start a new process of cooperation between foreign policy structures, conduct competitions among universities of the Turkic world, hold meetings of ministers and expand cooperation with third parties. All this work will be documented, so our work will be continued.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the Secretariat staff. I express my gratitude for the support of the Secretariat by member-states. The Secretariat congratulates Kyrgyzstan, which has completed the second Presidency at the summit, and Azerbaijan, which has taken over this mission.

Also, I would like to thank the host, President Ilham Aliyev, for the warm hospitality.

Dear heads of state! In October last year, we held a ceremony of official opening of our office building with the participation of President Abdullah Gul and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. We raised the flag, a symbol of Turkic unity, which was adopted at the Bishkek summit.

At that ceremony we left two flagpoles empty for the national flags of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. I express my appreciation to the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Sapardurdu Toyliyev, for participating in this summit. I want to remind him that one empty flagpole is waiting for the flag of Turkmenistan. During the concert held on 15 August we celebrated the 20th anniversary of TURKSOY. In this regard, I congratulate the Secretary General and the staff of TURKSOY on the work done in the name of the Turkic world.

I also express my gratitude for the Declaration to be adopted now and for the decision on the duration of my credentials to be signed by the Presidents.

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President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. And now we will start the signing ceremony.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Sapardurdu Toyliyev signed the Declaration of the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States and the decision to the duration of the credentials of the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, Ambassador Halil Akinci.

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev summarized the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States.

Closing speech by President Ilham Aliyev

- Distinguished guests, the signing ceremony has been completed. The summit is also drawing to a close. I want to express my deep gratitude to our dear brothers, heads of delegations for their participation in this summit in Gabala. I would like to express my confidence that cooperation between us would be further strengthened after this summit and very serious projects will be implemented. I am sure that the valuable thoughts voiced in the speeches today will enrich our work and the implementation of these proposals will enable us to rise to a new level of cooperation. I would like to point out to a few issues related to the proposals and our future activities in general. The cooperation in the economic sphere, as has already been mentioned, has a great future. Today, the economic development of our countries is very rapid. Once again I would like to note that despite the economic and financial crisis, our countries are steadily building up their economies. As for Azerbaijan, over the past 10 years Azerbaijan's economy grew more than three times, and this growth has been very impressive. Our economy is already diversified and competitive. According to the most influential economic structure of the world, the World Economic Forum, the Davos Forum, the economy of Azerbaijan is ranked 46th in the world for competitiveness.

The economic reforms carried out and the rich natural resources serve the development of our country. Therefore, there are new opportunities for the deepening of cooperation in the economic sphere. Azerbaijan is implementing investment projects in the country and abroad. I think that the friendly and fraternal relations existing between our two countries contribute to mutual investment. In any case, Azerbaijan is taking steps in this direction.

We are united through energy and transport corridors. This, too, is a huge asset. Member-countries have major natural resources and a vast geography. All of these efforts are already providing the development of each country. Of course, the continuation of the energy diplomacy and coordination of our efforts in this area are necessary, and we will continue our work in this direction in the coming years.

The speakers today have raised the issue of joint activities in the tourism sector. I think this is a very important area.

Especially in such a center of tourism as Gabala it is very important to exchange views on the steps to be taken in this direction. I suggest holding a joint exhibition on the tourism potential and tourism centers of the Turkic world. This exhibition could be conducted both in our countries and elsewhere. In addition, the Turkic world could make single presentations at prestigious international exhibitions because our countries have great potential for tourism. The tourism potential uniting our countries is getting stronger. The Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea, Lake Issyk-Kul – these are well-known travel destinations worldwide. Nature in our countries is beautiful – there is clean air, mountains, forests and rivers. I believe that a joint presentation will reflect and introduce our unity and at the same time, in practical terms, increase the flow of tourists to our countries.

Proposals have also been made on the development of information and communication technologies. Azerbaijan continues work in this direction. Earlier this year, we launched the first Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite into orbit.

Thus, we have launched the development of a space industry in Azerbaijan. This area, of course, is associated with the humanitarian sphere because information and communication technology boils down to knowledge, education and, innovation. Of course, the development of the humanitarian sphere is very important for any country. An educated and intelligent young generation is growing up in our countries. This will also contribute to the independence of our countries in the future. If we look at the world map, we can see that developed countries have achieved development because of a rapid scientific and technological progress. They have invested in science and education. The ongoing work in this area will strengthen the future development and independence of each country. Therefore, our countries have established significant collaboration in the field of innovation, science and education, and I think that it should be in the spotlight in future years.

Naturally, transportation was one of the issues on the agenda, and we all share the same opinion here. All the speakers have noted the issues related to transportation. By creating a new transport infrastructure, we are uniting the Turkic world also through the transport network. At the same time, we are creating a strong transportation infrastructure for our countries and for the future. Our nations will be using it for centuries. It will bring us additional economic benefits.
In my opening remarks I expressed my views on the work done in Azerbaijan in this direction. I would like to add that the port being constructed by Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea will be the largest seaport in the region. Its capacity will be gradually increased from 10 million to 20 million tons. Of course, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the port in Baku is carried out in a coordinated manner. Thus, it will lead to an increase in freight traffic across the Caspian Sea.

Today’s statements have also touched upon the tolerance of our peoples. This is also a very important issue. Indeed, all the peoples living in our countries regardless of their ethnicity or religion have all the rights and live like one family. There are never any negative phenomena. This is our greatest asset and we should strive to present the Turkic world internationally also as a space of tolerance. We in Azerbaijan are conducting a variety of activities in this direction. I am aware that such activities are also carried out in other fraternal countries. In particular, I want to note the activities of the Second Baku International Forum on Intercultural Dialogue. We look forward to the active participation of our brothers in future forums because this forum has already secured its place in the world.

Some other valuable ideas about the future of our countries and peoples have been expressed here as well. In particular, I would like to express my attitude to the thoughts about the demographic situation. This is a great asset for us. The demographic situation in our countries is very positive. There is natural growth. In many countries the situation is completely different. This is our great asset, as it represents the potential for the present and future. But it is no secret that the demographic situation is an advantage when there is rapid economic development. The demographic situation must be supplemented by major economic reforms. If it isn’t, the economy doesn’t develop and the population continues to grow, then it can turn into a problem. If the demographic situation grows along with the economy, then it means a huge potential and a major force. In the future, the solution of problems in the world will be associated with the potential of countries, including the demographic situation.

At the same time, I want to express my attitude to another thought expressed here. I believe that this is also a very valuable idea, and Azerbaijan is making effort in this direction. The joint activities of our Diaspora organizations are very important. We occasionally conduct forums of Turkish and Azerbaijani Diaspora organizations in Azerbaijan and Turkey.

A joint congress has also been held. I believe that consolidation of efforts in this area would be useful because millions of our compatriots living abroad today represent our peoples. I believe there are excellent opportunities to organize them and bring them together. Individually, there are Diaspora organizations. In many cases they coordinate their activities. But in this format, in the form of a union of Diaspora organizations of member-countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, I think it will further strengthen our work in all respects.

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In short, dear friends and dear heads of state, I am sure that today’s summit will be yet another successful stage. From today Azerbaijan takes over Presidency in the Council. I want to assure you that we will work hard, so that our organization becomes even stronger over the next year and all our objectives are successfully met. I express to you my deep respect and reverence for all of you again. Thank you!

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This concluded the work of the Third Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States ended.