Elnur Baghirov: Closer alignment of standards among OTS countries is vital

Closer alignment among the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on standards, rules of origin, and trade facilitation is important, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Agency for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control under the President Elnur Baghirov said at the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum (AIIF 2026) in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, this would allow manufacturers operating in Azerbaijan to view the Middle Corridor not as a line on a map, but as an integrated production and export market: "Railways, energy infrastructure, logistics centers, and industrial zones are being integrated into a unified production network. The Organization of Turkic States provides this network with both market scale and an institutional framework. It is not only the economies of the member states that are expanding, but also trade between them. Progress in customs simplification, digital transport documents, cooperation between economic zones, and the Turkic Investment Fund can turn this scale into investable projects."

Baghirov said that Azerbaijan already has industrial platforms and connectivity: "By combining targeted incentives, clear entry requirements, carefully managed procurement contracts, and deeper regional cooperation, we can help new businesses establish a position in the industry, build a track record, and become exporters. In this scenario, access to public procurement will serve as a foundation for businesses. This provides business confidence. In this case, it can serve as a bridge from an investment decision to competitive industrial capacity and from national production to regional expansion."