WB: Deepening integration in region opens new opportunities for youth

Deepening integration among the countries of the region opens new perspectives for youth, Ramil Maharramov, Senior Development Projects Specialist at the World Bank (WB), said at the event under the theme Youth Without Borders: Driving Shared Regional Prosperity, organized within the framework of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group's 2026 Annual Meetings in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, over the past decade, countries of the region have made significant efforts and taken strategic steps towards regional cooperation and integration: "One of the most vivid examples of this is two important political and economic platforms that have been established in the region: the Consultative Meeting of Heads of State of Central Asian Countries and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Azerbaijan joined the Consultative Meeting last year. At the same time, the Turkic Investment Fund, with an approved capital of $600 million, operates under the OTS. These platforms clearly demonstrate the growing interest of the political and economic leadership of the region's countries in development potential. Youth is advancing rapidly, but certain challenges still exist. One of them is access to finance. We will also hear the views of other panel participants on this topic. Another key problem is the limited mobility of youth between our countries, particularly for education and employment purposes."

Maharramov added that there are nearly half a million young people from the region who go abroad for educational purposes: "A significant portion of them choose Türkiye– approximately 40% go to this country for higher education, while the rest head to other countries. However, educational mobility within the region is still not sufficiently developed, and more work needs to be done in this area. The same situation is observed in terms of economic opportunities and employment; the indicators are not yet at the desired level."