Azernews.Az

The Budapest Declaration was signed at the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in the Hungarian capital on May 21, Azernews reports.

The Declaration, signed by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Secretary General of the OTS Kubanychbek Omuraliev, consists of 71 points.

Emphasizing the significant contributions of the Turkic peoples to world civilization throughout history, including their enduring legacy in the cultural and political formation of Europe and Asia, and the considerable role of the Turkic States in influencing the contemporary political, economic, and social progress in the world, as well as regional and global peace and security, the heads of state reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the principles, objectives, and spirit of the historic Nakhchivan Agreement, which laid the institutional foundation of the Organization and continues to guide their unity, cooperation, and shared aspirations for peace, development, and solidarity across the Turkic World.

Commending the remarkable political, economic, environmental, social and cultural achievements of the Turkic States in the region and beyond, the Presidents recognized the “Charter of the Turkic World” as a fundamental expression of the shared culture, traditions, language, and history of the Turkic peoples, and a unifying framework for strengthening their common Turkic identity.

The Declaration, which commends the ongoing Chairpersonship of the Kyrgyz Republic and Hungary’s strong determination for and remarkable contributions to the advancement of multifaceted cooperation with the OTS and the Turkic States, stresses the great value attached to the Informal Summit of the OTS, for the first time hosted by Hungary.

The parties express their determination to further enhance the solidarity, cooperation, and coordination among the Turkic States in all spheres using their immense potential and emerging opportunities; welcome the valuable contributions of Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in their capacity as Observers, as an inseparable part of the Turkic World, to the work of the OTS. Simultaneously, they emphasize the need to reach a negotiated, mutually acceptable, and viable settlement of the Cyprus issue.

The document also emphasizes the importance of preventing any actions and threats aimed at undermining their unity and solidarity, as underscored in the “Charter of the Turkic World”.

The members of the organization reaffirm their commitment to continue joint efforts to combat all forms of terrorism and transnational organized crime, the financing of terrorism, and cybercrime, which pose threats and challenges to peace and security in the region and beyond. In this regard, they commended the constructive role played by Türkiye towards the establishment of security and stability in Syria on the basis of its territorial integrity and unity, the achievement of an inclusive political process with the participation of all Syrian components, and the lifting of sanctions.

They express deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirm support for negotiations towards a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, the release of hostages/detainees, and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza; stress the need for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the implementation of the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions. Also, they commend the establishment of the Working Group on Afghanistan.

Reiterate their will to enhance productive multilateral cooperation under the OTS in the field of defense industry and task the relevant authorities of the Member States to expedite their efforts to this end.

Reiterate their commitment to maintain cooperation in combatting all forms of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, hatred against Islam, hate speech, and disinformation, and to harmonize efforts in international platforms to address these phenomena.

Appreciate the success of the Baku Process as a pioneering initiative in promoting intercultural dialogue on a global scale and commend the Republic of Azerbaijan for its continued leadership in this regard; express support for the organization of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue to be held in 2026.

Endorse the proposal to significantly increase the budget of the Secretariat of the OTS and emphasize the importance of the launch of project activities of the Turkic Investment Fund, established as the first joint financial institution of the OTS.

Reaffirm their commitment to sustainable green development, adaptation to climate change, and environmental protection, guided by the principles of the Turkic Green Vision, and emphasize the importance of developing green energy equipment and technologies, fostering climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting energy efficiency, and effective waste management, including the Zero Waste approach, as well as the preservation and effective use of natural resources and ecosystem services for environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

Commend the leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the successful hosting of the 29th Session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2024, including its principal outcome — the Baku Climate Unity Pact, as well as the initiatives undertaken by it under the COP29 Presidency.

Note the importance of the development of green energy corridors across the region, and welcome the progress in the implementation of the projects on green energy development and transmission; welcome the entry into force of the Agreement on the Establishment of a Simplified Customs Corridor among the Governments of the Organization of Turkic States.

The Declaration also calls for strengthening the cooperation of the OTS with other relevant international organizations to contribute to enhanced regional interaction and calls for stronger mutual coordination and support for each other’s candidacies, resolutions, statements, and other initiatives based on shared interests within international organizations whenever possible; welcome the candidacy of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN Security Council for the term 2027-2028 and ECOSOC for the term 2028-2030 and reaffirm their joint support for the above-mentioned candidacy.

Welcome the candidacies of the Republic Uzbekistan to the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the term 2035-2036 and UNESCO Executive Board for the term 2027-2031; the candidacies of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the post of the President of the 86th UN General Assembly for the term 2031-2032, the UN Security Council for the term 2039-2040, and UNESCO Executive Board for the term 2027-2031; the candidacies of the Republic of Türkiye to the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the term 2037-2038, to the UNESCO Executive Board for the term 2025-2029, and ECOSOC for the term 2026-2028; the candidacies of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the term 2025-2029 and to the UN-HABITAT Executive Board for the term 2025-2029.

Welcome awarding Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar, world-known scientist and Nobel Prize laureate, with the Alisher Navoi International Prize of the Organization of Turkic States “For Contribution to the Unity of the Turkic World.”

Welcome the Member States’ intention for further enhancing and structuring cooperation on youth-related issues as an essential element of strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties, aimed at fostering mutual understanding, solidarity, and a shared future among the Turkic States; commend the advanced achievements, especially the exchange programs in the field of Youth and Sports within the OTS, and encourage the Observers of the OTS to host such activities to further develop unity and solidarity; welcome the declaration of the city of Aktau as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World for 2025 by the initiative of the TURKSOY, aimed to enhance regional cultural cooperation and to implement joint initiatives celebrating the richness and diversity of Turkic heritage. At the same time, support the application of the Republic of Uzbekistan for accession to the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, which will further strengthen solidarity and cooperation in the OTS.

The document underlines the importance of protecting cultural heritage during armed conflicts and commends the efforts of the Turkic States in the post-conflict preservation, restoration, and revitalization of cultural heritage.

Expressing the trans-cultural nature of Nowruz, acting as an intercultural bridge and a symbol of universal values, and reiterating their determination to pass on the profound richness of the Turkic culture and the common values of the Turkic peoples to future generations, they decide to commemorate and celebrate Nowruz within the OTS upon the initiative of the President of the Republic of Türkiye and instruct the Secretariat to arrange celebratory events on this occasion.

Welcome the readiness of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 12th Summit of the OTS in 2025.

Emphasize the importance of adopting the “Joint Statement on Afghanistan.”

The Heads of States of the OTS extended their gratitude to Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister Hungary, for his contributions to the solidarity and prosperity of the Turkic World, as well as for steering the deliberations of the Budapest Informal Summit of the OTS to a successful conclusion and for the warm hospitality of the Government and people of Hungary.

The Declaration was signed on 21 May 2025 in Budapest, in Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish, and Uzbek languages.