OTS goes beyond the Turkic world: Sadyr Zhaparov to attend summit in Budapest

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov will pay a working visit to Budapest on May 20–21 at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He will take part in an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), according to the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration.

This is the first informal summit to be held in an observer country. The venue underscores the growing involvement of Hungary, a European observer to the OTS, in the organization's affairs and the expansion of its sphere of influence.

The theme of the meeting will be “The Meeting Place of East and West” — and the choice of location speaks for itself.

The summit will also be attended by the heads of state of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Observer countries and the Secretary General of the TCO have been invited.

On the agenda:

— Adoption of the Budapest Declaration, which will set out the strategic course of the CSTO;

— Approval of key initiatives and decisions to deepen cooperation;

— Focus on economic integration, transport connectivity, and digitization of customs procedures.