President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the Fifth Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Operativ Media reports that the address reads:

"Dear event participants,

I sincerely welcome you to Baku for the Fifth Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States. Welcome to Azerbaijan! It is a pleasure that this prestigious event is being organized in Azerbaijan for the first time.

Our brotherly peoples are united as a strong family by common ethnic roots, language, culture, and traditions. The Organization of Turkic States, which formalizes our natural alliance, is a clear example of the unity and effective cooperation of our friendly and brotherly countries, spanning a vast geographical area and possessing immense political and economic potential.

Today, the Turkic world has entered a period of rise. The peace, tranquility, and stability prevailing in our countries, along with the successfully ongoing development processes, are great achievements of our peoples and states.

The Karabakh Victory achieved by Azerbaijan six years ago, which is a source of common pride and glory, laid the foundation for a new geopolitical reality in the region. This Victory also paved the way for the realization of the Zangezur corridor—a historic gateway connecting our countries economically, logistically, and strategically. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the countries you represent for their support in the reconstruction and restoration of our liberated territories. These initiatives are received with deep appreciation and gratitude by the Azerbaijani people.

Our unwavering friendship and brotherhood are among the key factors driving the growing international influence and potential of the Organization of Turkic States, which is our single family today, and shaping the Organization into one of the world's powerful geopolitical centers.

During its chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States, Azerbaijan spares no effort to further strengthen unity and solidarity among our countries, realize the vast potential of our cooperation, and contribute to the sustainable development, peace, and security of our region as a whole. The Declaration adopted at the Gabala Summit last year is an important roadmap encompassing close cooperation and integration of member states in the political, economic, energy, humanitarian, military, and security fields.

Under our chairmanship, we are making efforts to develop the Middle Corridor, which is an important transport and logistics project connecting Europe and Asia and contributing to the prosperity of Turkic states, as well as the Zangezur corridor and other transport links.

One of the landmark events coinciding with our chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States is the holding of the Turkic World Week in Azerbaijan, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress. Taking this opportunity, I express my respect to the esteemed leaders of the Organization's member states and thank them for their messages addressed to the Congress, as well as for their continuous support for the work of the Republic of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States.

Dear event participants,

In the modern world, alongside traditional threats, new challenges concerning humanity are emerging, including cyber threats, new hotbeds of instability are arising, and a crisis of international law is being observed. All of this makes it inevitable to define our common agenda for addressing regional and global problems, formulate our unified position on key issues, and coordinate our activities in all areas. The military exercises we conduct on a bilateral basis contribute to our cooperation in the field of defense, once again clearly confirming the strategic nature of our interstate relations.

Cooperation between the security councils of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States is an indicator that the integration process of the Turkic world is not limited to political, economic, and cultural fields, but also has a long-term strategic character.

The regular meetings of the Secretaries of Security Councils to exchange views on current security issues are of exceptional importance for identifying common global and regional threats and risks and exploring ways to neutralize them. This elevates the security dialogue within the Organization of Turkic States to a completely new level and serves to form a common security architecture. Issues such as the fight against international terrorism, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, religious extremism, hybrid threats, and the protection of critical infrastructure cannot be resolved by any state alone. Therefore, as an important coordination mechanism, a great responsibility lies with the security councils.

I am confident that the discussions on the important agenda items, as well as the initiatives and proposals to be put forward during the meeting, will significantly contribute to the peace and secure future of our countries, making the Turkic world a more resilient and unwavering power in the face of global threats.

I wish the meeting every success."