On September 11 of this year, a panel discussion titled 'Digital Shield of the Turkic World: Partnership for Stronger Security' was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as part of the 'KazHackStan 2024' event, with the participation of representatives from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Additionally, a closed session was conducted to discuss strategic partnership in the field of cybersecurity.

The panel discussions and the closed session, attended by relevant representatives from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Hungary, featured the participation of Elvin Balajanov, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Cybersecurity Organisations of Azerbaijan (ACOA), Fidan Ahmadova, Secretary-General at ACOA; as well as Elvin Shahverdiyev, Deputy Head of the Cyber Security Service (CSS) under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Elman Muradov, Head of the Audit and Compliance Department.

During the panel session, Elvin Balajanov, Chairman of the Board of ACOA, and Elvin Shahverdiyev, Deputy Head of CSS, provided information on the measures being implemented in our country to ensure cybersecurity, including efforts to combat cyber threats and incidents. Additionally, an exchange of views took place on the factors driving the expansion of cybersecurity partnerships within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Subsequently, a closed session was held to discuss strategic partnerships in the field of cybersecurity, with the participation of representatives from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), as well as Mirvohid Azimov, Deputy Secretary-General of the OTS. During the first part of the session, which involved listening to various presentations, participants were informed about the cybersecurity ecosystem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the key components of the country's information security and cybersecurity strategy, our position in international rankings, as well as the activities carried out by ACOA and CSS. Furthermore, the proposals made by representatives during discussions at previous events organized by ACOA in our country, aimed at expanding cooperation among OTS member states, were presented to the session participants, along with information on the ongoing collaboration between CSS and the relevant agencies of OTS member states. The session participants emphasized the importance of establishing a relevant working group composed of representatives from OTS member and observer states, as well as developing joint partnership mechanisms to ensure more effective and efficient cybersecurity within the OTS framework.