Turkic-speaking nations deepen ties with new trilateral agreement

Turkic-speaking countries are keen to deepen cooperation among themselves and are taking relevant steps in this regard. One such step will be the signing of a trilateral cooperation agreement between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkiye in Ankara in the coming days.

On January 18, during his visit to Azerbaijan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned that the three countries would meet in Ankara to sign the cooperation agreement. The Turkish top diplomat did not provide detailed insight into the issue, but many believe that it will pave the way for further integration among these countries.

Speaking to Azernews on the issue, political analyst Farhad Mammadov said that the Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Uzbekistan format refers to the cooperation format of these three countries, as indicated by its name. He emphasized that despite not having common borders, each of these countries is important in their own region. For example, Uzbekistan is a significant country in Central Asia and one of the leading nations ensuring the economic development of the region. As for Azerbaijan and Turkiye, these countries are the leaders of their regions, both in terms of military and security matters and in terms of economy and investment.

“These three countries are also already operating in a bilateral format within the Organization of Turkic States. If this trilateral format aligns with the interests of all three countries, and special attention is given to it, it means that there is a need for further deepening cooperation through this format. Generally, such formats cover broader areas of cooperation,” noted Mammadov.

The political analyst stressed that this trilateral format is especially crucial in the economic sector because transportation logistics and mutual investment activities should be systematized. In many cases, state investments are involved, and it is important that they are compatible with each other and implemented within a unified strategic framework.

“The second aspect concerns security and providing mutual support in the international arena. For example, starting this year, Uzbekistan will chair the Non-Aligned Movement. Regarding Turkiye’s policies in the Middle East, it is possible that a joint position from all three countries will be formed. All of these issues will allow the three countries to operate more synchronously.

Of course, each country has its own interests. Turkiye’s interest is for the Central Asia direction to deepen and expand. Physical access to Central Asia is provided through Azerbaijan. On the other hand, Azerbaijan’s interest is to be a transit country and cooperate with these two countries in the field of security. Uzbekistan, as a landlocked country, is interested in expanding its relations with Azerbaijan and deepening and developing its relations with Turkiye,” political analyst Farhad Mammadov concluded.