On 5-6 June 2024, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), visited Baku at the invitation of TURKPA Secretary General H.E. Mr. Mehmet Süreyya Er. During his visit, he attended the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TurkPA), held bilateral consultations at the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, and had a fruitful discussion at the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.
The visit commenced with in-depth and thought-provoking discussions between the CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay and Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov. The high-ranking Azerbaijani diplomat shared insights on Azerbaijan’s approach and expectations for its upcoming CICA Chairmanship for the 2024-2026 biennium. They discussed the preparation and modalities of the forthcoming 7th CICA Ministerial Council meeting in Baku on 11 November 2024 and its anticipated outcomes, CICA's activities at COP-29, and other outreach initiatives.
The CICA Secretary General attended the 13th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, themed “Green Horizons for the Turkic World: Role of Parliaments in Achieving Green Agenda,” and delivered his remarks. Ambassador Kairat Sarybay expressed his gratitude to the host - Chairperson of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan – for the warm welcome and excellent organization of the plenary session.
Ambassador Kairat Sarybay emphasized Azerbaijan’s esteemed role as a multilateralism champion under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership.
Echoing the TURKPA plenary session's theme, the CICA Secretary General briefed participants on implementing the priorities of the Kazakh Chairmanship, as outlined by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Summit in Astana. In 2024 is expected the Ministerial Conference on the Environment, providing Member States an excellent opportunity to exchange best practices, address environmental challenges.
Another priority of the Kazakh Chairmanship is President Tokayev’s initiative to establish a CICA Council on Sustainable Connectivity to address modern global economic challenges, such as supply chain disruptions.
As a member-driven intergovernmental forum, CICA has played a pivotal role in fostering regional cooperation and trust, with environmental issues being a significant part of its comprehensive agenda. To combat, prevent, and mitigate these challenges, Member States organize various events focusing on regional environmental problems, green transformation, circular economy, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction under CICA's environmental dimension.
In conclusion, Ambassador Sarybay highlighted CICA's unique outreach potential to amplify joint efforts and achieve a greater impact towards sustainable development and dialogue in Asia and beyond.
The CICA Secretary General, Kairat Sarybay, also had a productive meeting with the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Aktoty Raimkulova. They explored avenues for synergizing efforts to promote intercultural dialogue during Azerbaijan’s tenure as the CICA Chair for the 2024-2026 biennium.
