Astana, 28 May 2026 – CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay took part in the Fifth Eurasian Economic Forum, held under the theme “The EAEU in the Global Digital Race: Betting on Artificial Intelligence”. The key message of his statement during the session “Integration without Barriers: Dialogue among Regional Organizations to Strengthen Economic Ties” was the need for synergy among multilateral frameworks.
K. Sarybay emphasized that this is particularly relevant for the Asian part of Eurasia: amid growing economic interdependence and the emergence of new growth hubs, it is crucial to prioritize the pooling of capabilities rather than competition. CICA, the EAEU and other regional organizations, despite different mandates, jointly cover key areas of economic cooperation. Their concerted efforts can provide a powerful boost to Asia’s prosperity and the sustainable development of the entire Eurasian continent.
CICA plays a special role in this process as one of the most inclusive pan-Asian platforms. During the transformation of the organization, the significance of its bridging function is becoming particularly evident.
K. Sarybay recalled that practical interaction within CICA is based on the implementation of the Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures across five dimensions. This work is supported by the activities of the advisory mechanisms – the CICA Business Council, Finance Summit and Fund – which help channel political dialogue into specific initiatives.
The Secretary General placed special emphasis on connectivity. Amid vulnerabilities in global supply chains, he highlighted the importance of sustainable connectivity across the CICA region – a priority of both the current and previous chairmanships of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan – as well as the need to develop transit and transport corridors, digitize logistics and introduce cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The Secretary General underlined that CICA’s potential is fully realized when interaction with other organizations is built on mutual consideration of mandates and the tangible contribution of each organization.
As specific examples of such synergy, K. Sarybay highlighted prospects for CICA interaction with the EAEU, the SCO and ASEAN. Thus, established ties with the EEC allow CICA to be used as a broad dialogue platform for synchronizing EAEU initiatives in trade, logistics and AI implementation with the interests of other Asian states.
In conclusion, the Secretary General noted that, as a practical step in this direction, CICA offers its platform for direct dialogue. On 17 June, as part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the CICA Secretariat, an informal roundtable discussion will be held involving UN entities and regional organizations working on the Asian agenda. K. Sarybay expressed confidence that the meaningful exchange of views during this event would help further strengthen partnerships among multilateral organizations, many of which are represented on the margins of the current Forum.
