Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ambassador Kairat Sarybay paid a working visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 20 to 22 August 2024, during which he held a series of meetings with the leadership of the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and various research institutes and think tanks in Pakistan.
While receiving the CICA Secretary General at his residence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan's continued support for CICA, emphasizing that its success contributes to the prosperity of the people of Asia. The Pakistani Prime Minister expressed support for the initiatives of the Kazakh Chairmanship in CICA, including those aimed at building sustainable connectivity across the Asian continent. The Secretary General of CICA commended Pakistan’s activities as one of its founding countries and the initiatives focused on strengthening CICA’s role and profile.
During the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Ishaq Dar, the parties discussed pertinent issues related to CICA’s current activities, institutional development and its transformation into a full-fledged international organization. It was stated that Pakistan intends to raise the global visibility of CICA through the United Nations platform as part of its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term. Ishaq Dar highlighted the strengthening of connectivity between Asian countries as one of the most important areas of CICA's activities in the near future.
During a meeting with Additional Secretary Syed Haider Shah, there was an in-depth discussion on Pakistan’s cooperation within CICA. Several areas were proposed where Pakistan could leverage its potential in CICA, including through advisory bodies such as the Business and Youth Councils and the Think Tank Forum.
At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary General K. Sarybay delivered a lecture at the Foreign Service Academy of Pakistan. In discussions with the Academy's leadership, they explored prospects for cooperation, particularly in enhancing the skills of diplomats from Member States and the CICA Secretariat.
In a meeting with Dr. Zia-ul-Haq, Director General of the Islamic Research Institute, the counterparts exchanged views on how Pakistan could contribute to CICA’s efforts to prevent youth radicalization, combat terrorism, and strengthen interreligious dialogue.
During the visit, the CICA Secretary General also met with Senator Sitara Ayaz, Secretary General of the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC), an international organization headquartered in Islamabad. They discussed the potential activities of the two organizations in various fields.
All the meetings were conducted in a warm, friendly and trusting atmosphere.
