Samarkand, 20 April 2026 – A delegation from the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), headed by Deputy Secretary General Farid Damirli, participated in the Samarkand International Forum entitled “Countering Transnational Drug Threats to Public Health and Security.” The Forum was organized by the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
In his remarks during the session on international cooperation for effective drug control, the CICA Deputy Secretary General highlighted the efforts undertaken by CICA Member States to combat illicit drug trafficking.
Mr. Damirli expressed confidence that the Forum’s outcome document, the Samarkand Declaration, would become an important milestone in advancing regional cooperation in countering the drug threat and would contribute to strengthening practical interaction among states, as well as with international and regional organizations. He also expressed readiness to cooperate within the framework of the emerging regional platform aimed at sharing effective drug prevention practices, programmes and methodologies adapted to the cultural context of Central Asia.
Mr. Damirli reaffirmed the aspiration of the CICA Secretariat to continue contributing to regional efforts to combat drug trafficking and drug addiction in close cooperation with Central Asian states, international and regional organizations.
Combating illicit drugs remains one of the priority areas of CICA confidence building measures, through which Member States cooperate, inter alia, by exchanging information and best practices, as well as organizing training programmes and seminars. CICA established a partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2015 through the signing of a corresponding MoU.
