STATEMENT BY

CICA Executive Director Ambassador K. Sarybay

at the International Scientific-Practical Conference on Regional Security in Asia in the Context of Preventing New Challenges and Threats

14 July 2021

Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to cordially welcome the participants of today's important event on behalf of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

The relevance of today’s topic is obvious against the background of the growing role of Asia in the global world order. The economic transformations in Asia over the past half century have been unprecedented; they have helped to lift hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty and raise living standards for a wide range of citizens.

In the 21st century, Asian consumers have become the “driving force” of the global economy. According to McKinsey, almost half of the growth in global consumption between 2015 and 2030 will be generated in Asia.

Asia is showing notable progress not only in economy, but also in human development, ranging from increased life expectancy and literacy rates to a dramatic increase in the number of Internet users. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that Asia has been able to outpace many developed countries in responding to epidemiological safety challenges. Despite the fact that the continent is home to more than 4.6 billion people, or 60% of the world's population, it is Asia that has shown the globe its effectiveness in management, business and healthcare.

Despite the huge diversity of Asian countries, they largely complement each other. This complementarity stimulates integration processes in the region and the development of powerful economic networks.

Asian countries are rapidly integrating, thereby confirming a new trend in globalization, namely, regionalization. For example (as estimated by UNCTAD and McKinsey Global Institute):

60% of international trade in Asian states is represented by mutual exports and imports;

59% of foreign direct investment is intra-regional;

These data indicate a trend for Asian companies to build self-sustaining regional value supply chains serving Asian markets.

Such associations as the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) can serve as a striking example of increased connectivity. Noteworthy is the new trade agreement - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which covers 16 countries in the region, including China, India, Thailand and Viet Nam.

However, against the background of increasing integration in Asia, there are security problems: territorial and water disputes, increased terrorist activity, cyber security threats. All this prompts many countries to hedge their risks and plunge into an arms race.

Distinguished participants,

We are witnessing a process when the Asian part of the planet begins to play a leading role in the world, and geopolitical players are actively transforming their strategies of interaction with the region.

The European Union adopted a new Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in April 2021, whereby it plans to strengthen its strategic focus, presence and activity in the region. At the same time, the EU justifies its increased interest in Asia by intense geopolitical competition, which has increased tensions in trade and production chains, as well as in the fields of technology, politics and security.

There are also conceptual approaches that are focused on the development of practical forms of cooperation and consultative formats with limited participation to the detriment of inclusive and highly institutionalized platforms for interaction.

In this regard, in the new geopolitical conditions, it has become especially important for Asian countries to promote large-scale international cooperation among states, international organizations and associations, contributing to the effective maintenance of global and regional stability and security.

In this context, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, as the largest intergovernmental forum in Asia, is the most appropriate platform for consolidating the collective wisdom of all peoples of Asia in the interests of peace, security, cooperation and development in the region.

Dear colleagues,

In order to analyze trends and identify potential threats, as well as determine joint efforts to address them within CICA, more attention should be paid to activities carried out under Track II.

In this regard, at the 5th CICA Summit (15 June 2019), President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev put forward an initiative to strengthen the potential of the CICA Think Tank Forum, initiated by the People's Republic of China in 2014, by transforming it into a permanent dialogue platform.

The proposal was supported by all Member States, and on 11 December 2020, the CICA Senior Officials Committee decided to convene the Forum on a regular basis.

Currently, the Member States are discussing draft regulations of the Think Tank Forum according to which it will be given the status of an advisory body of CICA. In June 2021, the CICA Special Working Group held its first discussions of the document and we hope that in the near future the Member States will find a consensus on this issue.

The importance of this work was also noted during my online meetings, as well as at in person meetings in different capitals, where representatives of the top think tanks showed a serious commitment to close cooperation with the CICA Secretariat in the field of analysis and scientific research of Pan-Asian security problems.

Distinguished participants,

I hope that new ideas and solutions will be translated into practice and become a valuable contribution of the CICA platform to ensuring security in Asia.

Let me wish you fruitful work and success to the Conference.

Thank you for your attention!