On November 20, the 2nd Meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in the capital, Baku.

Prior to the meeting, the delegations paid tribute to the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honors, and then visited the Alley of Martyrs and the Victory Park to honor the memory of Azerbaijani martyrs.

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.