Astana, 21 October 2025 – A ceremony for the handover of the voluntary contribution of the Government of the Republic of Türkiye to the budget of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held at the CICA Headquarters in Astana. The cheque was presented by Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of Kazakhstan Mustafa Kapucu to CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay.
In his remarks, Ambassador Sarybay expressed profound appreciation for Türkiye’s enduring support and active engagement within CICA, noting that Türkiye, as one of the founding members and the third-largest contributor to the Secretariat’s budget, has consistently played a leading role in advancing CICA’s mission to strengthen trust, dialogue and cooperation across Asia. He underlined Türkiye’s historic contribution to the institutional development of CICA, including its chairmanship during 2010–2014, which laid the foundations for key advisory mechanisms and the Think Tank Forum, and emphasized its vital role in promoting multilateral engagement between regions. Ambassador Sarybay also commended Türkiye’s commitment to confidence building through its annual seminars for law enforcement agencies, as well as its contribution to the first CICA Fund project implemented jointly with TİKA and the Islamic Organization for Food Security to support sustainable wheat cultivation in Afghanistan. Full text of the remarks:https://s-cica.org/index.php?view=page&t=speeches&id=363
In turn, Ambassador Kapucu reaffirmed Türkiye’s strong belief in CICA’s role as an effective forum for peace, security and stability in Asia, describing it as a unique multilateral platform promoting inclusiveness, equality, consensus and voluntariness. He reiterated Türkiye’s firm support for CICA’s ongoing institutional transformation into a full-fledged international organization, emphasizing the importance of preserving its founding principles and acquis during this process. Ambassador Kapucu highlighted that Türkiye’s active engagement in the CICA confidence building measures – in the Military-Political, New Challenges and Threats and Economic Dimensions – aligns with the country’s Asia Anew Initiative launched in 2019 to enhance regional cooperation and connectivity. He also commended the dynamic leadership of the CICA Secretary General and the constructive efforts of the Azerbaijani Chairmanship in advancing CICA’s transformation agenda.
The two sides also exchanged views on the further strengthening of cooperation between CICA and regional organizations and discussed prospective areas for joint initiatives under the CICA framework.
This ceremony once again reaffirmed Türkiye’s lasting commitment and valuable contribution to CICA’s activities and transformation process, underscoring its steadfast support for the organization’s vision of building a peaceful, secure and cooperative Asia.
