BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 24. At the time of SPECA’s inception, the Member States were taking their first steps as independent countries, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the Summit of the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA),TurkicWorld reports.

"We were facing a multitude of problems and challenges. In the last 25 years, we have overcome the major challenges, strengthened our state sovereignty, become valuable members of the international community and achieved rapid economic development.

Another factor uniting our countries is the political stability. Without stability, no economic growth can be achieved. Today, wars, conflicts and bloody clashes are raging in various regions across the globe, whereas, our countries enjoy peace, stability and security, with successful growth and development processes underway. This is a significant accomplishment and success of our states and peoples," the head of state underlined.