Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived in Hungary on November 29 on a working visit to participate in the 16th meeting of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) as a member of the Council of Elders and an honorary guest, TDH reports.

The visit of the head of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan is carried out at the invitation of the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the OTS Binali Yildirim. 

The current visit to Budapest and participation in the next meeting of the Council of Elders of the OTS is a significant step towards strengthening multifaceted relations based on the principles of good neighborliness and mutual understanding and fruitful cooperation with the OTS and the member states of the Organization.

 Speaking about the bilateral contacts between Turkmenistan and Hungary, it is noted that the interstate partnership, built on a parity, mutually respectful basis, is consistently strengthening. 

Particular importance is attached to contacts at the highest and government levels, as evidenced by the results of the official visits of the President of Hungary to Turkmenistan in 2011 and the Prime Minister of this country to Ashgabat in 2023, as well as the official visit of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Hungary in 2014 and the working visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Budapest in 2023. 

On the same day, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took part in the 16th meeting of the Council of Elders of the OTS as a member of the Council of Elders and an honorary guest. 

The agenda of the meeting included current issues related to the activities of the Council of Elders and the OTS.  The discussion also focused on the prospects for further joint work of the Organization's member states, as well as the implementation of the recommendations adopted at the 15th meeting held in Ashgabat.

The Council of Elders is an advisory body of the OTS, which includes elders of the OTS member states appointed from among prominent public figures. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has been a member of this Council since April 2022.

The previous 15th meeting of this structure was held in Turkmenistan in March 2024 under the chairmanship of the head of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The main goal of the OTS is to strengthen peace and stability, expand cooperation and relations, and develop the potential of the organization's member states. The OTS also acts as a bridge between member states in deepening international cooperation in the region.

Currently, the organization has 5 members: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Hungary and Turkmenistan are observer states of the UTC.