Azerbaijan to take reins of CICA

The chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) will transition from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan during the 7th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers scheduled for December 17.

The online meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev and Ambassador-at-Large Talgat Kaliyev, was held with the participation of CICA Secretary General, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay.

The Ministerial Council meeting will present the achievements of CICA since the last Summit in Astana in 2022 and prepare the groundwork for the Azerbaijani Chairmanship in 2024-2026.

In his opening remarks, Alibek Bakayev wished the Committee a fruitful workday, expressing confidence that the discussions will be guided by the "spirit of CICA," which is based on mutual respect and cooperation, and that it will contribute to the attainment of productive results.

Senior officials achieved a breakthrough in reviewing and finalizing key documents for adoption by the Ministers, in particular the consensus on the draft CICA Ministerial Council Statement on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration of Principles Governing Relations between the CICA Member States, which was prepared as the main political outcome of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.

Bakayev also briefed the the Committee of Senior Officials on organizational matters to ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of the Ministerial Meeting.

The discussions at the meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of CICA member states to advance multilateral dialog and cooperation.