Second Meeting of the Turkic Council Ministers in charge of Tourism hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan was hosted on 20 May 2015 in Baku by H.E. Abulfas Garayev, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The meeting was started by the opening address of Secretary General of the Turkic Council H.E. Ambassador Ramil Hasanov who was its chairman. H.E. Altynbek Maksutov, Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Abdurrahman Arıcı, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and H.E. Beibit Issabayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Azerbaijan attended the said meeting. H.E. Ambassador Düsen Kaseinov, Secretary General of the International Organization of the Turkic Culture –TURKSOY, Ms. Gunay Efendiyeva, Secretary General of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, H.E. Alper Coşkun, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Azerbaijan and H.E. Ayjigit Buranov, Ambassador of the Republic of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan were also the guests at the meeting.

At his opening address, welcoming the efforts of the 5th meeting of the Turkic Council Working Group in Tourism that was held during the last two days prior to the Ministerial Meeting, Secretary General Ambassador Hasanov informed the audience of the preparations with regard to the Turkic Council Silk Road Joint Tour Package that will be operational soon as a common tour product. In this regard, he mentioned about the efforts of the TRT Avaz to prepare a short video and the initiatives of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey to come up with a brochure to promote the said Joint Package in the Member States and towards the third parties. He underlined the need to receive subsidies from the relevant authorities of the Member States to render the Joint Tour Package more attractive.

After the addresses of the heads of delegations, the MoU among the Private Sector Umbrella Institutions of the Member States were signed before the Ministers. Following the signing ceremony, the press conference was chaired by Secretary General Ambassador Hasanov where he briefed the media representatives on the upcoming projects of the Turkic Council in tourism.

H.E. Abulfas Garayev presented “the Gomap Project of Azerbaijan” to the participants of the Ministerial Meeting and the press members.

Upon the invitation of H.E. Altynbek Maksutov, it is decided that the Third Ministerial Meeting in Tourism will be hosted by the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2016.

At the end of the meeting, the Ministers exchanged gifts on the occasion of the Second Turkic Council Ministerial Meeting in Tourism and expressed their gratitude to H.E. Abulfas Garayev for the hospitality extended to themselves and their delegations.

The meeting was ended with the official lunch hosted by the Azerbaijani Minister in the honour of the heads of delegations.