Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) Kubanychbek Omuraliev was duly received by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday in Budapest.
Congratulating Omuraliev on his appointment to this post, Orban stressed that Hungary, which has observer status in the organization, has always maintained deep ties with the Turkic world.
Orbán reiterated Hungary’s commitment to achieving the goals of the OTS to “promote multifaceted cooperation and enhance people-to-people contacts and cultural exchange between its member and observer states by promoting their rich heritage and common values.”
Omuraliev, for his part, said that Hungary has made a valuable contribution to the organization and expressed continued support to facilitate and further develop economic, trade and investment ties.
He also confirmed Hungary’s readiness to actively participate in activities aimed at implementing the decisions taken at the 9th summit of the organization in Samarkand in November last year.
Omuraliev and Orban exchanged views and shared their vision of further practical cooperation in such priority areas as transport, energy, agriculture and water management.
They emphasized the role of the OTS Drought Prevention Institute, which will be established in Budapest to reduce the negative effects of drought and its economic impact on the Turkic countries, using the knowledge and experience of Hungary in the field of water management and drought prevention.
Emphasizing the relevance of cultural, educational, youth and sports activities within the framework of the UTC, the parties expressed their readiness to actively involve Hungarian universities in the Union of Turkic Universities and agreed to support the planned events, including the World Nomad Games.
They also discussed the vital role of the organization’s representation in Budapest in promoting cooperation between OTS members and Hungary, as well as European institutions.
The UTS, formerly called the Turkic Council, is an international organization that includes well-known independent Turkic countries that work together to improve relations and union among themselves.
Its members are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The European Union countries Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have observer status.
