OTS Secretary General and CIMMYT Director discuss development of agricultural cooperation

AKIPRESS.COM – The Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Amb. Kubanychbek Omuraliev, met with Dr. Bram Govaerts, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), on the margins of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in 24 September 2026.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed at CIMMYT Headquarters in Mexico on 5 November 2025, as well as the draft Working Plan prepared by CIMMYT experts, which is currently under review by the OTS Member States.

They also exchanged views on advancing cooperation in priority areas, including seed systems, climate resilience, capacity building, and academic exchanges with universities across the Turkic States.

The sides further noted the potential for synergies with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the OTS and the International Organization for Food Security in Astana on 24 April 2026.

The Secretary General welcomed CIMMYT’s growing engagement with the OTS Member States and invited Dr. Govaerts or his representative to participate in the 5th Meeting of Ministers in Charge of Agriculture, to be hosted by Türkiye in 2026. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation and advancing joint initiatives in support of agricultural development and food security across the Turkic World.