OTS Ministers of Justice Convene in Baku to Advance Legal Cooperation

The 2nd Meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took place on November 20 in Baku.

Before the meeting, delegations honored the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev at the Alley of Honors and paid tribute to Azerbaijani martyrs at the Alley of Martyrs and the Victory Park, The Caspian Post reports, citing Azerbaijan's Justice Ministry.

The meeting, chaired by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Justice Farid Ahmadov, was attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Justice Yerlan Sarsembayev; Türkiye’s Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç; Uzbekistan’s Minister of Justice Akbar Tashkulov; Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Justice Iskender Sydygaliev; as well as OTS Secretary General, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

During the meeting, participants reviewed progress on the areas outlined in the Astana Declaration, signed on September 9, 2024, and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in the fields of judiciary and law enforcement within the OTS.

The event also highlighted the work and best practices of member states in digital transformation and the application of innovative solutions in the justice sector, in line with the provisions of the Astana Declaration.

Issues of mutual concern were also discussed.

Participants were briefed on the activities of the Expert Group, initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan, tasked with drafting a multilateral Agreement on Legal Assistance in Civil Matters between the Ministries of Justice of OTS member states, as well as on the work of the Working Group established to create a Centralized Forensic Network.

It was decided that the next - the 3rd Meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the OTS member states - will be held in Türkiye in 2026.