4 April 2024, Astana – The Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) hosted a traditional Ramadan iftar dinner at Rixos President Astana, gathering representatives from CICA Member States, as well as Observer States and Organizations accredited in Astana.
In his address, CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay highlighted the universal message of peace and tolerance inherent in Islam and other world religions. He emphasized the imperative of dialogue and mutual understanding in building peace, and expressed deep concern over conflicts escalating worldwide, particularly those rooted in ethnic, cultural, and religious divisions. Ambassador Sarybay advocated for diplomatic efforts such as the UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for the month of Ramadan.
Talking about the most notable recent developments within CICA, Ambassador Sarybay spotlighted the Republic of Azerbaijan's appointment as the next CICA Chair for 2024-2026, starting at the CICA Ministerial Council meeting in this Autumn.
Ambassador Sarybay also outlined key forthcoming CICA events under the Kazakhstan Chairmanship initiated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aimed at strengthening peace, dialogue, and mutual understanding among Member States and their peoples.
These include the Rally of Volunteer Movement Leaders under the auspices of the CICA Youth Council, which will bring together leaders of volunteer organizations, active volunteers, and heads of government agencies from Member States to support volunteerism in tackling social, economic, and environmental challenges in the CICA region.
He also spoke about the CICA Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues scheduled for late August. This high-level event will, for the first time, gather ministers of environment of CICA Member States to address pressing issues on the global agenda and to consider establishing a framework for collaboration among Member States in this area.
Ambassador Sarybay extended his heartfelt wishes for peace and unity to all participants, calling for even stronger cooperation and dialogue among CICA Member States.
