On October 8, the IV meeting of health ministers of the member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in the city of Shusha, organized jointly by the OTS and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The event was attended by the OTS Secretary General, health ministers of member and observer countries, the special representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district, as well as invited scholars from various countries.

Videos showcasing the activities of the Organization of Turkic States and dedicated to the city of Shusha were then shown.

In his opening speech, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev emphasized that last week marked the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement, which established the Organization of Turkic States. He noted the existence of bilateral and beneficial cooperation in the healthcare field among the member states: "Our efforts are aimed at deepening multilateral cooperation."

Omuraliev expressed confidence that the event would be successful and effective for the future development of the healthcare sector in OTS member countries. He emphasized that the issues discussed and decisions made at the meeting would give an important impetus to the future work of the Organization: "We welcome the signing of the 'Protocol of Intent for the Establishment of the Türktransplant System' and the approval of the 'OTS Health Cooperation Working Group Action Plan for 2025' as significant achievements in our healthcare cooperation."

In his speech, Azerbaijan's Minister of Health, Teymur Musayev, emphasized that holding the IV meeting of the OTS health ministers in Shusha was a historic and proud event: "As the great son of the Turkic world and national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, said: 'Without Shusha, there is no Karabakh, and without Karabakh, there is no Azerbaijan.'"

Musayev highlighted the importance of relationships built on a solid foundation among the people of OTS member countries and noted that these relationships create conditions for the highest level of cooperation in the healthcare sector: "At the IX Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Samarkand, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that developing relations with the member countries in all fields is a priority in Azerbaijan's foreign policy."

Teymur Musayev, noting that transplantation is an integral part of modern medicine, said: "Today we will witness the signing of the Protocol of Intent for the Establishment of the Türktransplant System, which will encourage the deepening of healthcare relations and promote future joint activities."

The minister highlighted the key areas of joint activity for the member and observer states, including the creation of a Unified Medical Science Space, conducting joint scientific research, establishing unified medical education standards, and ensuring continuous medical education: "The rapid implementation of information and communication technologies in healthcare enables cross-border exchange of patient data and the development of unified digital health standards within the Organization."

"Taking all of this into account, we believe that the coordinated implementation of the provisions of the documents signed within the framework of the Organization will strengthen the resilience of member states' healthcare systems against possible threats and will provide practical support in creating a healthcare ecosystem based on unified standards," concluded Azerbaijan's Minister of Health.

Aydın Karimov, the special representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district, welcomed the event participants and emphasized that after the full restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, large-scale reconstruction and restoration work is being carried out in the region. According to him, just like in other liberated areas, the construction of healthcare facilities in Shusha according to the most advanced standards is one of the state's priority issues.

In their speeches, Turkшу's Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Uzbekistan's First Deputy Minister of Health Davron Sultanov, Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Health Yerbol Ospanov, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliyev, Deputy Minister of Health of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Düriye Deren Oygar, and the representative of Hungary emphasized that the event, organized by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and Azerbaijan's Ministry of Health, was highly organized. They noted that this event would provide momentum for the development of cooperation between the countries from a new modern perspective.

Yerbol Ospanov, in his speech, invited OTS member and observer countries to support Kazakhstan's initiative to create a "Primary Healthcare Coalition" (PHC) and to join the coalition. According to him, the coalition will be established to promote the principles of prevention and health protection and to develop joint recommendations for the advancement of primary healthcare.

The health ministers of the member and observer countries of the OTS also highly appreciated Azerbaijan's initiative to establish the Türktransplant system.

Later, a video message from the World Health Organization's Regional Director for Europe, Hans Henri Kluge, was presented to the participants. In his address, Hans Henri Kluge emphasized the importance of the event and wished success for the meeting's proceedings.

During the event, the "Intent Protocol on the Establishment of Türktransplant" was signed. The speakers highlighted the significance of this document, emphasizing that in today's world, the field of transplantology provides solutions to many critical medical issues. Additionally, several Memorandums of Understanding were signed between the health ministries, research institutes, and centers of member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in areas such as oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, traumatology, and orthopedics. These agreements aim to strengthen cooperation through the establishment of close ties, the conduct of joint scientific research, the improvement of knowledge and skills of medical professionals in these specialties, and the promotion of staff exchange and collaboration.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the health ministers from the member and observer countries of the OTS answered questions from the media.