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Empowering Trade and Women Entrepreneurs: Kazakhstan’s Digital Leap for the Turkic States

The head of the Presidium of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan (ASMAR), Lazzat Ramazanova, who currently chairs the Council of Women Entrepreneurs of Turkic States, has reported on the development of a single digital ecosystem for business in the five countries which form the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). This platform is expected to expand international trade with countries outside of the Organization. This year, Kazakhstan chairs the Council of Women Entrepreneurs of Turkic States, which operates under the OTS and includes five member countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Three more countries - Hungary, Northern Cyprus, and Turkmenistan - are represented in the Organization with the status of observer states. One of the goals of Kazakhstan's chairing of the OTS was to strengthen business ties between Turkic states. To this end, the Turkic Business Hub initiative was implemented, an online platform that will become an important element of integration and cooperation in the region. Speaking at the close of the meeting in Astana, Lazzat Ramazanova told those in attendance: “Today, within the framework of the General Assembly of Women Entrepreneurs of the Turkic World, an ambitious initiative was put forward to create a unified digital platform for business. Kazakhstan was the initiator and implementer of this idea, as our country is now among the top 25 most digitized countries. The platform has already been developed, and in Kazakhstan, we are already working with our ministries on the integration of info-systems. Now, we will work with the governments of Turkic states so that the same integration takes place with their info-systems. In other words, the software has been created, and we are working to bring other countries into it.” The main advantage of a Turkic Business Hub is it ensures business security when choosing a partner in a given country. This is because when a user of the platform registers as a potential participant in trade relations, all information about them as a business entity is collected. Artificial intelligence automatically scans the fiscal (tax and customs) authorities and runs the business' credit history through the hub's integration with the databases of banks. The banks have their own interest in this system, since using it they can find clients and borrowers who have passed strict compliance checks. AI can also monitor the presence or absence of lawsuits from former partners of the entity that is attempting to register. “In the case of detection of negative information, the entity is denied registration, i.e., from there start, there will be no 'scam' companies or unscrupulous counter-parties on the platform," Ramazanova explained. "They will immediately be 'canceled' by the artificial intelligence based on the data from tax, customs, and other state services. But the most important thing is that in case of rejection, AI will send such the rejectee a complete summary of the reasons why they were denied registration, so the business will know what they need to correct to join the system. Once business entities that have no...

Organization of Turkic States Changes Its Flag

At the 11th summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Bishkek, a new flag to represent the organization was adopted. The leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan—Ilham Aliyev, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev—unanimously approved it as a symbol reflecting the Turkic world's shared values and cultural identity. The flag is designed on a turquoise background, symbolizing a clear sky, peace, and prosperity. In the center are a crescent moon, a star, and a sun with forty equal rays. These elements represent Turkic statehood, vitality, and aspiration for the future. The octagon, symbolizing centuries-old Turkic statehood and stability, expresses the participating countries' common cultural roots and interconnectedness. The sun's rays symbolize light and openness, and the crescent moon and star, well-known symbols of the Turkic world, emphasize the desire for development and progress based on a rich historical heritage. The Organization of Turkic States covers several countries in Eurasia and plays a vital role in their political and economic interaction. Its member countries are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, and its observer countries are Turkmenistan and Hungary. The OTS's headquarters are in Istanbul. Adopting the new flag was also a landmark step in strengthening the organization's international status. The first flag of the Organization of Turkic States was adopted in 2012. Earlier, Tokayev summarized the results of Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States. The countries' leaders adopted the Charter of the Turkic World, while central banks of the OTS will create a new Council to strengthen financial cooperation.

Kyrgyzstan Hosts Summit of Organization of Turkic States

On November 6, Bishkek hosted the 11th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Chaired by Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov and themed “Empowering the Turkic World: Economic Integration, Sustainable Development, Digital Future, and Security for All,” the summit was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary (observer state of the OTS). At the summit, the OTS chairmanship passed from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan. In his speech, Kazakhstan's Tokayev summarized the results of his country's chairmanship of the OTS. Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States was held under the motto "TURKTIME!" with special attention paid to strengthening the unity of the Turkic world and expanding comprehensive cooperation. Tokayev said that over the past 10 years, economic ties between the OTS members have strengthened significantly, and their trade volume exceeded $45 billion in 2024. According to Tokayev, strengthening transport and logistics ties within the OTS is a priority task. “It is necessary to fully utilize the potential of the Middle Corridor, which is strategically important for the further economic development of the Turkic world. Therefore, it seems necessary to agree to ensure the sustainable development of cargo transportation along this route.” Addressing the summit as the new chairman of the OTS, Japarov emphasized that the Organization has the unique potential to achieve high goals, strengthen its position in the international arena, intensify mutually beneficial cooperation, and create favorable conditions for the prosperity of its people. According to Japarov, during its chairmanship of the OTS, Kyrgyzstan will make every effort to develop economic partnership, sustainable development, digital integration, and strengthening common security. To expand trade and economic cooperation, negotiations will be initiated on intergovernmental agreements in services, finance, the creation and support of common labor markets, digital and e-commerce, intellectual property, agriculture, technology, innovation, tourism, and education. Japarov supported signing the Agreement on Partnership in the Field of Digital Economy, which will facilitate digital trade between the Turkic states. Joint measures to combat the challenges associated with climate change and environmental pollution will be one key area of Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship. According to Japarov, over the past 70 years, the area of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan has decreased by 16%. These glaciers are a source of drinking water for Kyrgyzstan and the entire Central Asian region. “Considering that our region is among the most vulnerable to global warming, by 2100, we may lose more than half of the glaciers,” the Kyrgyz president warned, adding that “we will develop cooperation in the implementation of joint green projects in the field of renewable energy, forest restoration, the introduction of resource-saving and energy-efficient technologies, the protection of glaciers and biological species, as well as the fight against land degradation and desertification.” Addressing the summit, Turkey's Erdoğan said: “I wholeheartedly believe that the decisions we will make today to achieve the targets we...

Turkic Investment Fund to Begin Financing Projects

Following the participation of its head, Temir Sariev, in a meeting of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Turkic states in Istanbul on October 16, Kyrgyzstan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that from January 2025, the Turkic Investment Fund, with an authorized capital of $1 billion, will begin financing major joint projects of member countries of the Organization of Turkic States. The Organization of Turkic States, currently comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, with Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as observers, was founded in 2009 to foster comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations. The Turkic Investment Fund, aimed to mobilize the economic potential of the Organization of Turkic States member states, strengthen trade and economic cooperation, and implement joint projects in infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, and IT, was established at the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Turkic States in March 2023 in Ankara. Founding members include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Hungary joined in June 2024, and Turkmenistan has an observer status. After the inaugural meeting of the Fund's Board of Governors in Istanbul in May 2024, the Turkish Ministry of Finance declared that by the end of 2024, the Turkic states are poised to play to an important role in the world economy, reaching an economic volume of $1.9 trillion and a population of 178 million.

Turkic Investment Fund Begins Operations

The inaugural meeting of the Board of Governors of the Turkic Investment Fund (TIF) was hosted by Istanbul on 21 May. The Turkic Investment Fund, the first financial institution for economic integration of the countries of the Turkic world was officially established by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey on 16 March 2023   at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara. With an initial capital of $500 million, TIF’s main objective is the development of economic and commercial relations between the Turkic countries. According to estimates by the Turkish Ministry of Finance, by the end of 2024, the Turkic states will occupy an important place in the global economy, reaching an economic volume of $1.9 trillion to the benefit of a population of  178 million. Commenting on the importance of Turkic integration for his country, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baybazarov and Kazakhstan’s representative on the TIF Board of Governors, said: “The Government of Kazakhstan fully supports the start of the Fund’s operation. I am confident that it will become a catalyst for economic growth and development of the participating countries, contribute to the deepening of investment cooperation and effective interaction in the implementation of joint projects.” The key sectors to receive funding include infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, and IT.