Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) Ambassador Ramil Hasan took part in the international panel discussion on the topic “Enhancing Cooperation and Connectivity through the Organization of Turkic States – Opportunities for Closer Ties between the Turkic States and the Baltic Region,” organized at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center located in Vilnius, and moderated by the Senior Policy Analyst of the Center, Ambassador Vytautas Leskevicius.
Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Dr. Ömer Kocaman, Member of the TURKPA Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations and Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Javanshir Feyziyev, and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania Taurimas Valys also took part in the discussions as panelists.
The event, organized on the joint initiative of the Embassies of Azerbaijan and Türkiye in Lithuania, was also attended by Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Lithuania Tamerlan Garayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Lithuania Timur Urazayev, and Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Lithuania Esra Toplu, representatives of strategic research centers, as well as officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.
The discussions were around promoting the Organization of Turkic States, as well as other organizations operating among the Turkic States in the country, and fostering and advancing relations between the Baltic and the Turkic States.
Ambassador Ramil Hasan, in his speech, expressed his pleasure in addressing the gathering, underscoring that the Baltic states have long served as a gateway connecting regions and illustrate how connectivity enhances regional cooperation. He noted that one of the key factors driving the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to develop relations with the Baltic states is the important role of the Turkic states in ensuring energy security.
The Secretary General emphasized that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as members of the OTS, are actively contributing to the energy security of Europe through Türkiye. In this context, he highlighted that the Turkic region, due to its unique position, serves as a bridge between Europe and Asia, connecting markets and transport corridors and acting as a guarantor of stability across a strategically important region.
Referring to recent developments, he highlighted the current stage of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the completion of the initialing process toward a peace agreement. In the context of improving relations between the two countries, he highlighted that emerging regional economic and energy initiatives are generating new opportunities for growth and cooperation across the South Caucasus, the Baltic states, and the European Union.
Ambassador Hasan specifically noted the Rail Baltica project, one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in Europe, emphasizing that it enhances the Baltic region’s role as a strategic gateway and creates opportunities to link European transport networks with Eurasian corridors. He added that TURKPA highly values this cooperation and aims to strengthen it in accordance with the new geopolitical and economic realities emerging in the region.
In conclusion, the Secretary General provided information on the adoption of the Model laws of TURKPA, which contribute to the harmonization of legislation and emphasized how the transformation of agreed documents into ratified legal instruments serves as a catalyst for accelerating cooperation and establishing the framework necessary for effective economic integration and energy connectivity among Turkic countries. He expressed confidence that, as TURKPA cooperates with organizations such as the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, its partnership with the Baltic Assembly is expected to reach a new level, and he believes that the joint projects will bring significant benefits in the future.
The Secretary General was accompanied by the Head of the Protocol Service, Yadigar Mammadov.
