Baku, 20 February 2025 – The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ambassador Kairat Sarybay addressed the 15th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), under the theme "Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation in Asia". The session served as a strategic platform for Asian parliamentarians to explore opportunities for deepening regional cooperation.
In his address, the Secretary General expressed his sincere appreciation to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan for extending an invitation to participate as a special guest, especially in light of inception of Azerbaijan's Chairmanship in CICA for 2024-2026, that places a strong focus on enhancing CICA’s partnerships with international and regional organizations to promote synergy in addressing common challenges.
Ambassador Sarybay underscored CICA’s role as a unique platform, bringing together 28 Member States to engage in multilateral dialogue and work toward consensus on a broad range of issues. He pointed to a key milestone in CICA’s evolution — the Sixth CICA Summit in Astana in October 2022, where Member States initiated the gradual transformation of CICA into a full-fledged international organization. This process advanced further in September 2023 when Foreign Ministers endorsed the Road Map for CICA Transformation, outlining eight areas of specific reforms aimed at strengthening CICA’s institutional framework and enhancing its global role.
Ambassador Sarybay highlighted that Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship priorities, presented under the theme "Stronger CICA, Connectivity, Digitalization and Sustainable Growth in Asia", will build on this progress and focus on advancing CICA’s transformation, ensuring the effective implementation of confidence building measures, and strengthening institutional cooperation with international partners.
He commended Azerbaijan’s strong advocacy for multilateralism and its successful track record in leading international organizations, including the UN Security Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Expressing confidence in Azerbaijan’s continued success, he emphasized that its Chairmanship of CICA will play a crucial role in achieving ambitious goals.
The Secretary General also stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, noting that legislators are instrumental in shaping policies that foster regional stability, economic collaboration and trust among nations. In this regard, he reaffirmed CICA’s commitment to parliamentary engagement, highlighting its observer status with the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TurkPA).
In conclusion, the Secretary General conveyed that closer interaction between CICA and APA aligns with the Chairmanship’s priority to expand institutional cooperation, advancing peace, stability and sustainable development through effective multilateralism.
On the sidelines of the APA plenary session, Ambassador Sarybay met with Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. The discussions focused on advancing CICA’s institutional development, with key efforts directed towards the CICA Charter, strengthening the CICA Secretariat’s capacity and preparations for the upcoming Senior Officials Committee (SOC) meeting in Baku.
