Kazakhstan Initiates the Establishment of an OTS Cybersecurity Council

At the informal summit of the Organisation of Turkic States in Turkestan, Kazakhstan presented not only infrastructure projects but also wide-ranging cybersecurity initiatives, which have become a key element of the region's overall digital stability.

The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development is actively promoting the idea of establishing a unified digital shield for the Turkic states, elevating cooperation to a new level. A significant step in this direction was the signing of a memorandum on cyber cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey, which formalised the two countries' readiness to promptly share data on incidents, jointly protect critical infrastructure, conduct joint cyber exercises, and train specialist personnel.

However, Kazakhstan proposes going beyond bilateral agreements and scaling this experience across the entire OTS space. Kazakhstan put forward the initiative to establish a fully fledged Cybersecurity Council within the Organisation. The corresponding concept has already been developed by the Kazakhstani side and submitted to partners for consideration. This Council is intended to serve as a mechanism for direct coordination among relevant agencies, the instant exchange of information on zero-day threats and vulnerabilities, and the convergence of regulatory standards for the protection of citizens' personal data.

Securing the IT perimeter goes hand in hand with the development of innovative platforms, where OTS countries are also demonstrating leadership through projects such as the Turkic Metaverse, first piloted at the level of the region's leading technology parks.

As Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev emphasised, building a strong digital economy is impossible without a reliable security foundation. In an era of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence, cyber threats know no borders, meaning fragmented protection is no longer effective. The initiative to establish an OTS Cybersecurity Council represents a shift from point-to-point interaction to a unified technological shield. The proposal is to unite the efforts of national centres, share unique data in real time, and jointly develop specialist talent. Only by building a secure digital ecosystem in this way can the Turkic states guarantee the stability of critical infrastructure and the safety of their citizens' data.