Diplomacy & Crisis News

The trip marks the culmination of a remarkable turnaround in ties.

 

On 14 September 2025, Shusha hosted the 1st Assembly of the Turkic World Insurance Union (TWIU)—a milestone bringing together supervisors, associations and market leaders from Turkic states under the umbrella of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The meeting’s symbolism was clear; its economic intent even clearer: align rules, deepen re/insurance capacity and cut frictions in cross-border cover.     Delegates signed a joint Proclamation to re-form the Union on OTS principles, with five founding members and three observers (Hungary, Turkmenistan and the TRNC). The stated aims: structured exchange of expertise and data, systematic formation of reinsurance ties, and a roadmap for sustainable growth of member markets.   The event’s organization—by the Azerbaijan Insurers Association with strategic support from the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and OTS—underlined a public-private partnership model the bloc wants to scale.   Azerbaijan’s insurance metrics offered a first anchor. According to public statements around the Assembly, sector assets rose 12% year-on-year to AZN 2.1 bn by mid-2025; profitability exceeded AZN 80 m, with approximate ROA ~7% and ROE ~25%—indicators of strengthened balance sheets and pricing discipline.     Beyond one market, intra-OTS trade has risen from roughly 3% to ~5–7% of members’ total turnover in recent years—still modest, but moving in the right direction and giving insurers a larger cross-border client base (cargo, liability, project, credit covers).     For global context, reinsurance is about 7% of worldwide net insurance premiums (≈ $312 bn in 2020). A coordinated Turkic risk pool—even if initially small by global standards—could secure better terms from top reinsurers and, over time, place regional insurance-linked securities.     Why a Union Matters (and Where It Gets Hard)   1) Regulatory harmonization. Different solvency regimes, reserving rules and licensing playbooks fragment risk pools. A TWIU “minimum standard”—even if principle-based—would shrink compliance costs and enable passporting for niche lines (e.g., cargo hull, surety, agrisk). Shusha’s Proclamation points in that direction, but execution requires working groups, model laws and supervisory colleges.   2) Data & modelling. Regional pricing still suffers from thin loss histories and uneven catastrophe models. The Union could mandate shared data lakes (anonymized), improve flood/quake modeling and co-fund actuarial capacity. That would narrow the bid-ask spread with reinsurers. (Context: Azerbaijani market growth and reported premium/revenue dynamics signal improving datasets but more depth is needed across the bloc.)     3) Capital depth. Some markets show comfortable capital buffers, yet others remain constrained. A pooled regional reinsurance facility—even with conservative retentions—can smooth shocks, especially for quake-exposed zones. Early phase options: quota-share pools for transport and property, then layered CAT covers once data improves.     4) Cross-border product fit. Trade corridors need portable solutions: CMR/CMI cargo liability, political risk for exporters, project all-risk for infrastructure, credit insurance for SMEs, and health/travel covers for mobile labor. A TWIU-endorsed wording library (English + national languages) would accelerate uptake.   5) Governance & trust. Predictable rules—claims timelines, dispute resolution, and enforcement—lower risk loads. An OTS-linked arbitration panel for insurance disputes would be a quick win.     With trade integration rising, insurance becomes a force multiplier: it crowds in investment by de-risking projects, cushions climate shocks and professionalizes credit flows. A functioning TWIU would deepen the region’s financial market architecture alongside development banks and capital-market initiatives—enhancing the bloc’s geo-economic leverage.     If Shusha’s deliverables stall, the Union risks remaining ceremonial, while multinational incumbents continue to price regional risk on external terms. Divergent rules, patchy data, or politicized claims handling would keep risk premia high. Conversely, disciplined follow-through would let local carriers keep more premium on-shore and buy reinsurance on better terms.     Shusha was not just a photo-op. The convening power of OTS, public confirmation by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, and a signed Proclamation together mark the institutional birth of a regional insurance project with real economic logic. The question is no longer “why”—it is “how fast.” If 2026 delivers harmonized reporting, a starter reinsurance pool and shared CAT modelling, the Turkic insurance market can move from aspiration to exportable standard.

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