The chairmanship of the TCCI Union has been entrusted to Kazakhstan for the first time

On 8 January 2026, the Third General Assembly of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TCCI) was held in Astana. This event serves as an important platform aimed at strengthening economic cooperation within the Turkic world. Following the outcomes of the Assembly, the chairmanship of the Union was entrusted to the Republic of Kazakhstan for the first time in its history.

The event was attended by Vugar Zeynalov, Vice President of the Azerbaijan Confederation of Entrepreneurs (ASK), Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Baghdad Amreyev, President of the Turkic Investment Fund, as well as representatives of Turkic cooperation organizations and business communities. Among the participants was also Murat Karymsakov, Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Turkic States was established in 2019. Its main objective is to promote trade, economic, industrial, investment, technological, and other forms of cooperation among member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States. Currently, the Union includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, with Hungary participating as an observer state.

In accordance with established procedures, the chairmanship of the Union is approved annually on a rotational basis by decision of the General Assembly. In 2026, the chairmanship was entrusted to the Republic of Kazakhstan. During this period, Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was appointed President of the Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) for a one-year term. In his remarks, he noted that the Turkic economic space currently encompasses more than 180 million people and possesses significant industrial and resource potential. At the same time, he emphasized that mutual trade still accounts for less than 10 percent of total trade turnover, which represents a substantial opportunity for future growth.

The positive dynamics of Kazakhstan’s trade and economic relations with countries of the Turkic world were also highlighted. According to the results for January-October 2025, mutual trade turnover reached USD 11 billion, increasing by more than 10 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Kazakhstan’s exports grew by 16.6 percent, amounting to USD 7.9 billion.

Commenting on the future of integration, Raimbek Batalov stated:“Today, the Turkic economic space has all the necessary prerequisites for a qualitative breakthrough - scale, resources, an institutional framework, and political will. Our common task is to transform this potential into sustainable production, investment, job creation, and improved public welfare.”

Participants of the Assembly also discussed the key areas of cooperation for the coming period. Among the priorities are the development of industrial cooperation and joint projects, effective use of the instruments of the Turkic Investment Fund, reduction of trade and technical barriers, as well as strengthening transport and logistics connectivity through the development of international routes and transport corridors.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was emphasized that deepening economic cooperation within the Union would contribute to increasing mutual trade and attracting investment, thereby laying a solid foundation for the sustainable economic development of the member states.