Bishkek hosted the 5th meeting of the heads of the state institutions and organizations responsible for diaspora issues of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held on November 22,2023.

Agenda of the meeting focused on the issues of strengthening coordination and cooperation between diaspora organizations of member states and Turkish diasporas.

Gulnara Baatyrova, Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic delivered opening speech.

OTS Secretary General Kubanichbek Omuraliyev gave broad information about the issues that were on the agenda and drew attention to the fact that the recent global processes directly impact on the activities of the diaspora.

Firstly, Fuad Muradov, chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, conveyed speech. He proposed to hold a meeting of the heads of state institutions and organizations responsible for diaspora issues of the OTS member states in Nakhchivan, as well as to launch a common database of OTS diaspora scientists.

A video-roll depicting the activities of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora was screened at the event.

Following, Abdullah Eren (Turkiye), President of the Presidency of the Turks Abroad and Related Communities, Abzal Saparbekuli (Kazakhstan), President of NAO Otandastar Foundation, Odiljan Sattarov (Uzbekistan), Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Citizens” Public Foundation, Arpad Yanosh Potapi, State Secretary for Hungarian Communities Abroad, delivered speeches.

The "Joint Activity Strategy of the Turkish Diaspora for 2022-2026" was discussed and the proposals of the Azerbaijani delegation were welcomed.

Taking into consideration the 15th anniversary of the establishment of OTS,it was decided to hold the next meeting of the heads of state institutions and organizations responsible for diaspora issues of the OTS member states within the framework of the 3rd Diaspora Institutional Experience Exchange Program, which will be in Nakhchivan in 2024.

It should be noted that OTS (former name - Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States) is an international organization established among Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan under the Nakhchivan Treaty signed in Nakhchivan on October 3, 2009.