Welcoming remarks by the CICA Secretary General Ambassador K. Sarybay at the Conference on the Development of the Transport and Logistics Potential of the CICA Member States “Intermodal Transportation as a Factor in Ensuring the Economic Growth of the CICA Member States”

Dear Dmitry Zverev, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

First and foremost, let me express my sincere gratitude to the Russian Federation for organizing this timely and important Conference, which is taking place in the wonderful city of Kazan at the famous historical crossroads of trade routes between Asia and Europe.

I would like to remind you that last September, the Russian Ministry of Transport and the Directorate of International Transport Corridors successfully organized and held a CICA seminar titled “Combining Opportunities: New Routes, Reliable Partners”.

The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) unites 28 Member States and covers a vast geographical area – 90% of Asia, from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean. CICA is presently in the process of transforming into a fully-fledged international organization.

The current geopolitical landscape continues to pose serious challenges to the stability and sustainability of global supply chains. Regional conflicts, unilateral sanctions and trade barriers increase geo-economic fragmentation, disrupt critical trade routes and hinder the timely movement of goods, which ultimately negatively affects international trade.

At the same time, Asian economies are showing steady growth, strengthening their positions as key engines of global development. It is no coincidence that the 21st century is increasingly referred to as the century of Asia, a region where new centers of economic influence, innovation and industrial potential are concentrated.

In this regard, the development of secure and effective transport corridors has been identified as a priority area under the Economic Dimension of the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures. Within the framework of this priority, Member States are invited to implement the following measures:

• Cooperation to promote various modes of transport linkages and connectivity;
• Joint efforts to develop secure and effective systems of transportation corridors.

Undoubtedly, this area of cooperation is gaining momentum within CICA, since the Republic of Azerbaijan, the coordinator of this priority area, assumed the CICA Chairmanship last December.

Azerbaijan intends to update the concept paper for the implementation of confidence building measures in the development of secure and effective transport corridors for 2025-2027. The draft document has recently been distributed to the CICA Member States, and I urge all Member States to actively participate in its consideration.

Azerbaijan also plans to hold the following events in this area in 2025:

• Conference on exchange of experience in the field of digitalization of transport corridors among the CICA Member States;
• Conference of the port authorities of the CICA Member States.

After finalizing the organizational details of these events, the Secretariat will distribute official invitations to all Member States. I look forward to your active participation and the sharing of best practices.

As you know, the Republic of Kazakhstan put forward the initiative to establish the CICA Council on Sustainable Connectivity at the Astana CICA Summit in October 2022. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his speech at the Summit, noted: “Disruptions in global supply chains force us to take a fresh look at the formation of efficient transit-transport corridors. Convenient and accessible routes for transporting goods are an important factor in the sustainable growth of our economies.”

Two meetings of the Special Working Group held last year confirmed the high interest of the CICA Member States in institutionalizing cooperation in this area, recognizing its importance both for intra- and inter-regional trade and for the broader economic development of Asia.

It is assumed that the Council can become a pan-Asian dialogue platform both for the regular exchange of best practices and for strategic discussions on the development of secure and effective transport corridors in the CICA region.

I wish all participants productive discussions at today's Conference.

Thank you for your attention.