Turkic economic policy research centers agreed to systematize their cooperation

The Turkic Academy, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States, organized on 17-18 February 2023 in Astana a Workshop on Economic Cooperation and Integration in the Turkic World. The event provided a floor to discuss the development priorities of Turkic countries and the modalities for deepening their economic relations in line with the goals of the Turkic World Vision-2040 (Vision 2040). Participants discussed the possibilities for strengthening the collaboration among the Turkic countries’ official economic policy research centers in this context. The opening ceremony was marked by welcoming remarks and statements made by the representatives of the Turkic Academy, the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States, the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the representatives of diplomatic missions in Astana, and the Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The President of the Turkic Academy, Mr. Shahin Mustafayev, underlined that the workshop’s main purpose was to strengthen the collaboration among the official economic policy research centers by establishing a network among them. He added that supporting greater integration through the easier flow of capital, people, goods, and services within the Turkic economies must be the fundamental guiding principle of collaboration. The Project Director of the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States, Ms. Özge Pan, briefed about the goals of Vision-2040 and pointed out the need for jointly conducting studies on economic topics determined by this document. Member of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, Mr. Hasan Hasanov, referred to the success of the Turkic cooperation process and called participants to work together and provide academic and informational support for promoting economic relations, greater economic integration, and stronger partnerships in Turkic World. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kanat Tumysh and the diplomatic representatives of Turkic countries in Astana welcomed the cooperation initiative between economic policy research centers and declared their readiness to support it. Director of the Department of International Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Yerzhan Abish, also declared readiness to support the collaboration between economic policy research centers. Participants of the Workshop presented the national development priorities of the countries they came from. Subsequent discussions centered around free major themes: a) the need to establish a cooperation network for official economic policy research centers, b) the preferred type of cooperation mechanism, and c) key issues to be addressed by the network. Participants recognized the importance of developing a platform where official economic policy research centers can network, share knowledge and conduct joint studies and other activities. They agreed to conduct joint studies that would help analyze the main trends in the economic relations of Turkic countries, identify issues, and shape future policy. It was agreed to establish an intergovernmental, non-profit voluntary network whose activities should align with the economic goals set in Vision 2040. Following two days of intense discussions, participating institutions of the workshop adopted the Protocol on Cooperation Between Official Economic Policy Research Centers by consensus. They declared that their cooperation platform should be known as the Turkic Network of Official Economic Policy Research Centers. The following economic policy research institutions participated in the workshop and adopted the Protocol on Cooperation Between Official Economic Policy Research Centers: 1) Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan; 2) Economic Scientific Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan; 3) Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary; 4) Economic Research Institute of Kazakhstan; 5) National Institute of Strategic Studies under the Presidency of the Kyrgyz Republic; 6) General Directorate of Trade Research and Risk Assessment under the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, and 6) Center for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the Presidency of Uzbekistan.