Dushanbe, 12 June 2026 – Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ambassador Kairat Sarybay paid a working visit to Dushanbe, where, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, he participated in the International Conference “Central Asia – the Core of the SCO: a Space of Peace and Joint Development”. The event, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, gathered heads of delegations from SCO Member States and dialogue partners, as well as representatives of international organizations, including the UN, UNESCO, FAO, the CIS, and the CSTO.
Speaking at the Conference, Secretary General K. Sarybay drew a historical parallel between CICA and the SCO, noting that both organizations were established in response to the call of Asian countries for dialogue and have since reached a level of institutional maturity. Highlighting the role of Central Asia as a driver of stability across Asia, he called for the region to be viewed not only as a geographical centre but also as a strategic core that sets high standards for regional integration.
K. Sarybay emphasized that CICA and the SCO are capable of effectively complementing and reinforcing each other. In this regard, he called for building on the existing legal framework and moving toward practical alignment of efforts in the areas of security, sustainable development, transport and digitalization.
In this context, it should be noted that the Chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan in CICA attaches high priority to strengthening partnerships with international and regional organizations, fostering connectivity and promoting practical multilateral cooperation.
As part of the visit to Dushanbe, the CICA Secretary General held talks with Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, during which the parties discussed preparations for the Seventh CICA Summit, to be held in Baku this October.
Minister Muhriddin confirmed that CICA is an important instrument of regional interaction for Tajikistan, emphasizing the firm support of Dushanbe for strengthening the organization’s role and influence in the Asian region.
The Secretary General commended Tajikistan’s leadership in advancing the global water and climate agenda, noting that glacier conservation and sustainable water resource management are becoming a critical factor in regional security. The parties discussed the implementation of CICA confidence building measures, particularly in tourism, where Tajikistan serves as the coordinator.
Building on the topic of coordinating efforts among regional organizations discussed at the Conference, the CICA Secretary General announced a roundtable of heads of Asian regional organizations to be held in Astana on 17 June, aimed at identifying new formats of interaction and opportunities for synergy in their activities.
On the sidelines of the SCO Conference, CICA Secretary General K. Sarybay also held a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko, during which the diplomats discussed key aspects of the sustained process to transform CICA into a full-fledged international organization.
The Secretary General underlined the importance of Russia’s participation in the implementation of CICA confidence building measures and expressed his appreciation for the successful promotion of the volunteerism agenda. The parties then discussed the upcoming CICA side event on this topic, which will take place on 14 July on the margins of the UN High-level Political Forum in New York.
