Helsinki, 31 July 2025 — The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) took part in the Helsinki +50 Conference, held at Finlandia Hall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.
Convened by the Finnish Chairpersonship, the Conference brought together more than 1,000 participants from 70 countries, including representatives of OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation, executive structures, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, civil society and international organizations.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Elina Valtonen. In her opening remarks, she underscored the enduring legacy of the Helsinki Final Act as a cornerstone of cooperative security and international diplomacy. The panel discussions focused on reinforcing commitment to the UN Charter and the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, while exploring how states and civil society can jointly respond to emerging global challenges.
During his visit, the CICA Secretary General met with H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Secretary General of the OSCE. Ambassador Sarybay briefed him on the key priorities of the Azerbaijani Chairmanship and updated his counterpart on the current developments and ongoing initiatives within the CICA framework. The two sides exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to enhance CICA-OSCE synergy and future cooperation across Greater Euro-Asian space.
On the sidelines of the conference, the CICA Secretary General also held discussions with heads of delegations and Permanent Representatives to the OSCE, including from CICA Member States, Mr. Rovshan Sadigbayli (Azerbaijan), Mr. Idibek Kalandar (Tajikistan), and Mr. Mukhtar Tleuberdi (Kazakhstan), as well as the Special Representative of Kazakhstan for Afghanistan, Mr. Erkin Tukumov, and Dr. Walter Kemp, Senior Strategy Adviser at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.
During these engagements, the Secretary General shared updates on CICA’s ongoing activities and the strategic direction under Azerbaijani Chairmanship. The discussions highlighted the Organization’s five dimensions of cooperation, its ongoing institutionalization, and key initiatives such as the establishment of new advisory bodies - CICA Finance Summit, Women Council, as well as efforts in the areas of connectivity and environment, and broader undertakings to advance multilateral engagement and regional dialogue.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has held observer status with CICA since 2002, reflecting a longstanding relationship based on shared principles of dialogue, trust and cooperative security.
