Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ambassador Kairat Sarybay paid a working visit to Moscow, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The meetings with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Andrey Rudenko and Director of the Asian and Pacific Cooperation Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Senior Official of the Russian Federation in CICA Alexey Ovchinnikov discussed the ways to implement the decision of the Sixth CICA Summit on transformation, the prospects for this process and its stages. The Russian side highlighted CICA's unique role in the current geopolitical environment and the high added value of its inclusiveness and flexibility. Moreover, the sides covered the upcoming CICA events in 2023, namely, the Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CICA on the margins of the UNGA in September, the Youth Council meeting in Uzbekistan, the Business Council meeting and the Business Forum to be held within the framework of the Astana International Forum, the panel session on Prospects for Volunteering in the CICA Countries as part of the International Volunteers Forum in Kazakhstan and other issues of interaction within CICA.
The Secretary General also met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin to deliberate on CICA's potential role in the network structure of interaction of multilateral fora and international organizations across the vast Eurasian continent to promote connectivity, including strengthening economic, technological, humanitarian, cultural, and other ties.
During the conversation with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov, the sides exchanged views on developments in West Asia and the prospects for dialogue and cooperation among countries in the region, including within CICA.
The meeting with Director of the Second Asian Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov focused on the prospects for the development of the situation in and around Afghanistan and CICA's possible contribution to international efforts to assist this CICA Member State.
During the visit, the CICA Secretary General met with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Mikhail Myasnikovich at the EEC headquarters. The meeting exchanged views on practical steps to implement the partnership between the two organizations outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the CICA Secretariat and the EEC, which was signed at the Sixth CICA Summit in Astana. Priority areas of such interaction within the purview of the two organizations were identified, including the development of transportation corridors and greater connectivity, financial interaction, the digitalization of economies and the development of information and communication technologies, improving food security and other areas of common interest. An agreement was reached on mutual participation in events organized by CICA and the Eurasian Economic Union.
The meetings in Moscow were held in a positive, friendly and trusting atmosphere. The visit was the latest in a series of visits by the CICA Secretary General to the Member States of the Organization to discuss the outcomes of the Sixth CICA Summit and the ways to implement its decisions.
