ASTANA – The Special Working Group (SWG) and the Senior Officials Committee (SOC) of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) convened on Aug. 21-22 to discuss draft documents, which are expected to be officially approved at the CICA Informal Ministerial meeting on Sept. 21, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.
The meetings in Astana included discussions regarding a draft document on CICA confidence-building measures and a draft statement of the CICA Ministerial Council on promoting volunteerism for sustainable development.
During the meetings, CICA member states exchanged views on enhancing mechanisms for implementing confidence-building measures sharing information about the progress made in developing concepts related to priority areas of cooperation.
The SOC meeting resulted in decisions related to the draft CICA Transformation Roadmap and the draft statement on promoting volunteerism.
Russia’s coordination in collaboration with China was approved for the priority area of cooperation titled Security of and in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for 2024-2025.
The meeting of the SOC, the main decision-making body for implementing decisions and agreements of the CICA Summit and the Council of Ministers, was chaired by Ambassador-at-Large of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Talgat Kaliyev.
As Kazakhstan chairs the CICA in 2022-2024, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reviewed the ongoing activities and development prospects at an Aug. 24 meeting with CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay.
Sarybay briefed the President on the progress in implementing the key provisions of the Astana Statement adopted during the sixth CICA Summit in 2022.
He discussed the work of CICA permanent institutions, the active promotion of sustainable interconnection, financial cooperation, ecology, and prospects for youth and educational exchange among Asian countries.
Tokayev stressed the significance of achieving the goals and objectives of the CICA, noting the importance of implementing the initiatives announced during the sixth CICA Summit in Astana.
Source : AstanaTimes
