Tashkent Emerged as a Hub for Uniting the Analytical Capacities of the Turkic States

Among the participants were representatives and leaders of leading think tanks, including Dr. Askhat Kesikbayev, Vice President of the Turkic Academy; Prof. Shahin Sadygov, Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Economic Research (Azerbaijan); David Biro, Project Coordinator of the OTS Representation in Hungary; Meruert Makhmutova, Director of the Public Policy Research Center (Kazakhstan); and Lidiya Parkhomchik, Lead Research Fellow of the Eurasian Studies Program at the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), among others.

The participants demonstrated regional solidarity in action, analyzing the current state of trade and economic relations and identifying strong new growth opportunities.

The combined population of Turkic states exceeds 175 million, and their internal market is valued at over $5.6 trillion in purchasing power parity terms. The collective GDP of the OTS exceeded $2.1 trillion in 2024. According to the results of 2024, intra-OTS trade accounted for about 7% of the countries’ total trade turnover, which reached $850 billion last year. Just a few years ago, this figure was only 3%, indicating positive progress.

Moreover, the Turkic states collectively rank as the world’s third-largest energy supplier, granting the region additional strategic advantages. OTS countries possess proven reserves of 19.9 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, 38.2 billion barrels of oil, and 42 billion tons of coal, highlighting their strategic role in the global energy market.

It was emphasized by participants that coordinated efforts are required to unlock the joint potential of OTS countries through removing institutional and logistical barriers, developing infrastructure, digitizing trade, and supporting cooperative projects.

Uzbekistan, as an active OTS member, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic ties by offering a competitive industrial base, growing export potential, and a stable macroeconomic policy framework.

As noted by Obid Khakimov, Director of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR): "The experience of analytical collaboration between think tanks of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan proves the effectiveness of an expert-based approach to identifying areas for cooperation. This mechanism could serve as a foundation for the systemic development of intra-organizational partnerships and the generation of new economic initiatives within the OTS framework."

The conference concluded with the signing of memorandums of cooperation between the Turkic Academy, the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR), the Eurasian Research Institute, the Center for Competition Policy and Consumer Protection under the Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee, the Economic Research Institute (ESRI), and the Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University.

These cooperation agreements among OTS think tanks lay the groundwork for continued collaboration, enabling deeper integration and expanded mutual trade.

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Center for Economic Research and Reforms