Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev held a meeting with Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Namazu Hiroyuki at the OTS Secretariat in Istanbul.
The parties discussed the activities of the Organization of Turkic States, initiatives and projects being implemented within its framework, as well as issues related to OTS interaction with international and regional organizations and individual states.
Particular attention was paid to the prospects for developing cooperation between the OTS and Japan based on mutual interests. In this context, the participants exchanged views on bilateral relations between OTS member and observer states and Japan, as well as on possible formats of engagement with third parties within the organization.
It is also worth noting that in recent months a number of international and regional media outlets have published reports on Japan’s possible interest in expanding its format of interaction with the Organization of Turkic States, including discussions of various participation options.
At the same time, no official statements have been made regarding Tokyo’s intention to join the OTS, nor have any formal applications been submitted to the organization. At this stage, the focus is on expanding cooperation and dialogue rather than on formal membership.
