23.10.25

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Kubanychbek Omuraliev, paid an official visit to Brussels. In an interview with Euronews, he stated that the organization he leads has significantly strengthened its collective power through cooperation in trade, agriculture, security, technology, and other areas.

Kubanychbek Omuraliev said: “If we look at our total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it amounts to $2.1 trillion, while the total trade turnover among Turkic countries has reached $1.1 trillion.” According to him, the joint economic growth of the Turkic states is accelerating dynamically.

Omuraliev noted that most Turkic states have strategic partnership relations with the European Union and that it is time to revitalize those ties. “In Central Asia, our founding members — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan — serve as a real bridge connecting the European Union with Asia, including China. Moreover, every member of our organization has strategic bilateral relations with the EU,” he stated.

According to the Secretary-General, the upcoming official visit of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Brussels this Friday demonstrates how much bilateral relations have been strengthened. He added that cooperation between the two blocs should also be expanded in a multilateral format.

In his remarks, Omuraliev emphasized that creating a new trade route to Europe — the “Middle Corridor” established by the Turkic states — is currently their main priority, as it forms an alternative network bypassing conflict zones. The “Middle Corridor” follows the ancient Silk Road, strategically linking Europe and Asia, including China, and serves as a key direction for developing logistics among Turkic nations. Omuraliev said: “It is called the ‘Middle Corridor,’ but if we look back at history, it is actually the Great Silk Road. It passes through the member and observer states of our organization.”

He noted that the “Middle Corridor” had been planned even before the war between Russia and Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East, and it is now becoming a reality. Moreover, it will shorten the route between the European Union and China by 2,000 kilometers and reduce costs.

Omuraliev also highlighted that the Turkic states possess the world’s third-largest energy reserves and have great potential in renewable energy sources — opening new opportunities for business cooperation with Europe.

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan as members, while Turkmenistan, Hungary, and Northern Cyprus hold observer status.

https://centralasia.media/news:2351194?from=mportal&place=last