Your Excellency, Mr. Chairperson, Distinguished Members of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honor and privilege to address this distinguished gathering of parliamentarians who play a vital role in strengthening multilateral cooperation in Asia through parliamentary diplomacy.
I sincerely appreciate the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the kind invitation to participate as a special guest. This is remarkable in view of Chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the CICA for the period of 2024-2026, which prioritizes, among others, enhancing CICA’s partnerships with international and regional organizations to promote synergy in addressing common challenges.
The theme of this session resonates deeply with the core mission of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)—to enhance multilateral cooperation in Asia through dialogue and confidence building measures.
CICA is a unique, multi-national forum dedicated to promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia. It is founded on the recognition that Asia’s security is closely linked to global peace and stability. The Member States of CICA, while reaffirming their commitment to the UN Charter, believe that lasting peace and security in Asia can be achieved through dialogue, cooperation, and trust, leading to a common and indivisible security space where all states coexist peacefully, and their peoples thrive in freedom and prosperity.
The idea of convening CICA was first proposed by H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the First President of Kazakhstan, on 5 October 1992 at the 47th UN General Assembly. His vision was to create an inclusive platform for peace and security in Asia, a continent that lacked a dedicated regional security framework. Recognizing its significance, Asian nations strongly supported the initiative.
CICA’s foundation rests on two key documents: the Declaration on the Principles Guiding Relations between CICA Member States (adopted in 1999) and the Almaty Act. These established its core principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and cooperation in economic, social, and cultural spheres, with all decisions made by consensus.
CICA’s membership of 28 states, exemplifies its role as a neutral platform where asian nations engage in multilateral dialogue. Despite challenging geopolitical dynamics, CICA Member States remain committed to dialogue and continue to achieve consensus on diverse issues within its broad agenda. This has been recently re-confirmed with the adoption of Ministerial Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration guiding relations among CICA Member States at the 7th Meeting of the CICA Ministerial Council held under the Chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Building confidence among Member States is central to CICA’s mission. The CICA Catalogue of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), last updated in 2021, outlines the framework for cooperation in five key domains: Economic;Environmental; Human; New challenges and threats; and Military-political dimension.
Within this framework, Member States have voluntarily taken on coordinating roles in 18 priority areas, ranging from combating terrorism and cyber threats to sustainable development and disaster management.
A key milestone in CICA’s evolution was reached at the Sixth CICA Summit in Astana (October 2022) when Member States initiated the transformation of CICA into a full-fledged international organization. In September 2023, at the CICA Ministerial Council Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Ministers endorsed the Road Map for CICA Transformation, outlining eight specific reforms to strengthen CICA’s institutional framework and enhance its global role.
Azerbaijan is a staunch advocate of multilateralism and an experienced actor in international diplomacy, having successfully chaired prominent international organizations, including the UN Security Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Economic Cooperation Organization.
With the unanimous support of CICA Member States, Azerbaijan assumed the CICA Chairmanship for 2024–2026 at the Seventh CICA Ministerial Council Meeting in December 2024. Azerbaijan’s Vision Paper outlines its strategic priorities, which align closely with CICA’s fundamental principles and the broader objectives of regional multilateralism.
The CICA Chairmanship of Azerbaijan is built upon the overarching theme of “Stronger CICA, connectivity, digitalization and sustainable growth in Asia”, and will prioritize the advancement of CICA’s transformation into a full-fledged international organization, promotion of effective and efficient implementation of confidence-building measures and increasing synergy and interaction with other international and regional platforms.
I have no doubt that, under Azerbaijan’s strategic leadership, political foresight, and dedicated team, all ambitious goals outlined for CICA’s evolution will be successfully achieved.
The role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening multilateral cooperation in Asia is undeniable. Legislators are at the forefront of shaping policies that enhance regional stability, economic cooperation, and trust among nations. CICA is committed to working closely with parliamentarians to further deepen dialogue and collaboration in the region.
CICA already maintains observer status with the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TurkPA), and I am honored to regularly update TurkPA members on CICA’s developments across multiple dimensions.
Closer interaction between CICA, as the most-encompassing platform of dialogue in Asia, and Asia Parliamentary Assembly is well placed into CICA Chairmanship’s priority to expand institutional cooperation to further CICA objectives of contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development in Asia through effective multilateralism.
Once again, I express my gratitude to the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan for hosting this important gathering, and I look forward to our continued partnership in advancing peace, security, and prosperity in Asia.
Thank you!
Baku, 20 February 2025
