For the first time, a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia, established in 1992 on the initiative of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, will be held outside Kazakhstan.Turkey will hold the third CICA summit as a presiding country of the organization during the period from 2010 until 2012. According to the deputy foreign minister of Turkey, Unal Chevikoz, his country is going to follow the main principles of the organization during its chairmanship.
This year the forum is very promising, regarding global politics, as it will be attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and other top-officials. Within the summit's framework will be held several international meetings, including trilateral Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani talks. The summit will see a discussion of the most vital issues of the Middle East, in particular the Iranian nuclear program and the Turkish-Israeli "Flotilla" crises.
It is expected that a CICA Convention on privileges and immunities of the Secretariat and personnel, as well as a political declaration will be adopted. The joint declaration will give impetus to the strengthening of peace and security in Asia. Moreover, within the CICA framework joint activities fighting illegal drug trafficking will be discussed During the Istanbul forum Vietnam and Iraq will join the organization and Bangladesh will receive observer status.
It is also expected that the forum will see the signing of several gas agreements between Azerbaijan and Turkey, regarding gas prices, the cost of gas transit to Europe through the territory of Turkey, and the amount of gas supplies to Turkey starting from the second period of the Shakh-Deniz oil-field's development. This will boost the implementation of the Nabucco project.
Note:
CICA Member States include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Republic of Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, Vietnam, Ukraine, the USA, the United Nations, the OSCE and the Arab League are observers.
Alexander Krishtalev. Excusively for VK.
