Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev Attends OTS Summit in Turkistan

President Ilham Aliyev attended the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkistan, Kazakhstan on 15 May 2026 and delivered a speech highlighting Azerbaijan’s digital and regional connectivity initiatives.

• Main announcement: President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s leadership role within the Organization of Turkic States and announced progress on regional digital and transport projects, notably that the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is expected to become operational in the coming months and that the Zangezur Corridor is moving toward realization.
• Background and details: Azerbaijan has established the Digital Development Council, National Artificial Intelligence Center, and Artificial Intelligence Academy, adopted an Artificial Intelligence Strategy last year, and achieved 100% coverage for fixed broadband internet; the e-Permit system for the Middle Corridor was noted as enabling operative issuance of electronic permits.