Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States and agreement between Kenya and South Africa

Kenya and South Africa have signed a number of agreements governing their relationship – for example, from 2023, Kenyans will be able to enter South Africa under a visa-free regime. Trade agreements and those on border security were also signed, together with agreements to stimulate the development of the film and television industries in both countries. In 2021, Kenya shipped goods to South Africa worth more than 10 times less than its imports from that country.

Turkey held a summit of Central Asian states in Samarkand to strengthen mutual economic ties. The Organisation of Turkic States meeting – which includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – was chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He has long sought closer cultural, linguistic and religious ties with the former Soviet Union countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia and is now seeking to capitalise on Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine. At the summit, Erdoğan urged the creation of a new free trade framework to better exploit the potential of the Caspian Sea.

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of provoking a shootout along the border just ahead of peace talks organised by the United States. As Moscow has become increasingly isolated on the world stage, the US and the European Union have taken on a major mediating role in Armenian-Azeri talks. A few hours after the shooting, foreign ministers from both countries met in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.