Moscow, 23 October 2026 – Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ms. Zhang Ling delivered welcoming remarks online at the opening of a roundtable dedicated to interaction between CICA and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and held to mark the 25th anniversary of the SCO. The event was held at the MGIMO University of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of an international scientific and practical conference organized jointly by the University and the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICCA RAS).
The roundtable brought together representatives of MGIMO, the Center for Strategic Research under the President of Tajikistan, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan, the International Institute for Central Asia, the Indian Council of World Affairs, the Arab Thought Forum and the Center for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
The participants discussed the role of regional associations in building security and confidence, developing political and economic ties, as well as prospects for cooperation in transport connectivity, modern technologies, education and culture. Particular attention was given to opportunities for CICA-SCO interaction in addressing contemporary international challenges across the broader Eurasian region.
In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Zhang Ling emphasized the complementary roles of CICA and the SCO, as well as the importance of the practical benefits of their partnership: “Cooperation between the two organizations should bring added value to their participating states, help identify common solutions and enhance the predictability of international relations. It is this approach that gives practical meaning to inter-organizational partnership”.
Zhang Ling briefed the participants on the main outcomes of the Seventh CICA Summit, held in Baku on 15 October 2026. She also commended the ICCA RAS in its capacity as a member of the CICA Think Tank Forum (TTF) for its significant intellectual contribution to strengthening dialogue and cooperation within CICA.
Noting CICA's ongoing transformation and the institutional reforms underway at the SCO, Deputy Secretary General Zhang Ling proposed conducting joint research and holding expert meetings aimed at exploring ways to enhance synergy between the two associations in order to strengthen confidence and security and develop connectivity in Asia.
CICA and the SCO develop their partnership on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding between their Secretariats, signed in 2014. The participation of the ICCA RAS in the CICA TTF provides additional opportunities for expert collaboration.
