Uzbekistan pushes practical, tech-forward agenda at Turkestan OTS summit

President, Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev used the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Turkestan to advance a practical, future-focused agenda that pushed the organization beyond its traditional cultural and humanitarian remit toward concrete cooperation on technology, transport and climate resilience

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th May, 2026) President, Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev used the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Turkestan to advance a practical, future-focused agenda that pushed the organization beyond its traditional cultural and humanitarian remit toward concrete cooperation on technology, transport and climate resilience.

Speaking at the meeting, Mirziyoyev outlined a series of initiatives designed to turn the OTS into a hands-on platform for regional integration. Uzbekistan’s proposals include a “Digital Turkic Space,” a strategic cooperation network for artificial intelligence, a “Digital Turkic Corridor” linking data centers via high-speed communications, a Turkic Cybersecurity Alliance, and a regional climate risk monitoring system using satellite data.

Tashkent also proposed institutional measures such as a joint venture fund with Kazakhstan, a Technology Forum in Tashkent, and a big-data platform to consolidate shared cultural heritage,said a release issued here on Wednesday.

Analysts and officials quoted by Dunyo IA hailed the summit as a turning point for the OTS, noting that discussions centered on transport connectivity, digitalization, and security, areas seen as decisive for the region’s competitiveness amid global geopolitical shifts. Bilateral talks during the visit underscored the momentum: Mirziyoyev met with Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan’s Sadyr Japarov and Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan to advance cooperation on projects including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and integration of the Middle Corridor.

“The summit reflected a qualitatively new stage in the development of the OTS and the role of Central Asia in Eurasian cooperation,” Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the Uzbek president, told Dunyo IA.

He said Uzbekistan’s initiatives were rooted in pragmatism and institutional thinking, linking digitalization with transport and security to help transform Central Asia from a transit zone into a manufacturing, logistics and technology hub.

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The Turkestan venue, a major spiritual and historical center for the Turkic world, also highlighted the summit’s humanitarian dimension. Mirziyoyev visited a mosque built by Uzbekistan in Turkestan, a gesture that officials said symbolized strengthening fraternal ties with Kazakhstan and the blending of cultural heritage with modern cooperation. Regional leaders converged on themes of connectivity and resilience.

Kazakhstan emphasized transport and transit potential for the Turkic space; Türkiye highlighted logistics integration and economic ties; Azerbaijan stressed the region’s role in emerging Eurasian routes.

The shared focus on digital infrastructure, customs digitalization, and unified logistics signalled effort to weave a new infrastructural geography across Eurasia, with Central Asia as a key hub.

Uzbekistan proposed declaring 2027 the Year of Environmental Protection within the OTS and called for joint monitoring of droughts, soil degradation and glacier melt, framing environmental management as a matter of collective security that affects agriculture, energy and migration.

Observers said the summit’s practical orientation reflects broader global trends: heightened competition for supply chains, transport routes and technologies is prompting states to seek regional formats that boost resilience to external shocks.

By prioritizing concrete mechanisms , from joint AI platforms to cybersecurity cooperation and integrated transport-digital frameworks, Uzbekistan positioned the OTS as a more substantive actor in Eurasian affairs.

The summit concluded with an apparent strengthening of political trust among Turkic states, officials said, underscoring Central Asia’s growing role as an independent actor rather than a passive arena for great-power competition.

For Uzbekistan, the drive was clear, institutionalize pragmatic, technology-driven cooperation that leverages the region’s historical legacy while building a modern, interconnected, and resilient Eurasian architecture.