Astana, 9–10 October 2025 – The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), convened a seminar on the development of CICA’s military-political dimension under the theme “The Role of Mediation in Post-Conflict Settlement: Sharing Experiences and Building Capacity within the CICA Framework.”
Held at the newly inaugurated CICA Headquarters in Astana, the event brought together representatives of the defense and political sectors of CICA Member States, alongside experts, academia and think-tank representatives.
Delivering the opening address on behalf of CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Deputy Secretary General Mr. Farid Damirli extended appreciation to delegates who travelled from their capitals, underscoring the collective priority CICA attaches to peacebuilding and dialogue. He emphasized that the military-political dimension, one of the founding pillars of the Organization, is inherently linked to conflict prevention, mediation, and sustainable post-conflict recovery. Mr. Damirli reaffirmed CICA’s mission to build a cooperative security architecture in Asia grounded in trust, transparency, and dialogue, and expressed confidence that the seminar would yield practical insights to advance CICA’s mediation potential.
In his welcoming remarks, Colonel Kanat Aubakirov, Head of the Center for Arms Control and Inspection Support of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, highlighted Kazakhstan’s continued commitment to strengthening the military-political dimension of CICA and recalled its long-standing role as a co-coordinator of this area together with Türkiye. He noted that the new CICA Headquarters symbolizes the organization’s maturity and institutional consolidation, providing a permanent home for collective efforts toward peace and cooperation in Asia.
During the seminar, participants engaged in substantive exchanges on the practical role of mediation in regional security, sharing national experiences and expert insights on integrating mediation mechanisms into conflict-resolution systems at both national and regional levels. Presentations explored topics such as confidence building in the defense sphere, international legal frameworks of mediation, and the evolution of multi-level diplomacy in Asia.
Speakers from CICA Member States and academic institutions underscored the growing relevance of mediation amid complex and evolving regional challenges. The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized that peace is a sacred value shared across civilizations and that confidence building must be underpinned by addressing root causes of mistrust and ensuring inclusive cooperation. The Republic of Azerbaijan presented its initiatives on cybersecurity and data protection as part of CICA’s confidence building measures in addressing emerging non-traditional security threats.
Kazakh experts from the Ministry of Defense and research institutions outlined Kazakhstan’s practical experience in implementing the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures, including the development of joint Action Plan on developing the military-political dimension for 2025–2027. Academic contributions from leading universities in Astana further highlighted the role of mediation in restoring social cohesion and preventing relapse into conflict, as well as the importance of adapting mediation practices to Asia’s diverse cultural and political contexts.
Moderated discussions reflected broad agreement among participants on the need to institutionalize mediation as a voluntary and cooperative confidence building measure within the CICA framework, strengthening the organization’s ability to facilitate dialogue and reconciliation. Participants endorsed the idea of continued collaboration, expert exchanges and training to enhance Member States’ mediation capacities.
As part of the program, participants will visit the Army General Sagadat Nurmagambetov Military College of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, which will contribute to fostering mutual transparency and understanding among defense institutions.
The seminar reaffirmed that the military-political dimension remains central to CICA’s comprehensive approach to regional security, embodying the shared determination of its Member States to transform dialogue into practical cooperation and advance peace, trust and stability across Asia.
