CICA Senior Officials Chart Course for Future Collaboration in Asia

CICA held pivotal meetings in Astana to discuss the organization's draft Charter and approved an action plan for confidence-building measures. The sessions also reviewed external relations with international bodies and considered new observer applications.

Under the leadership of Talgat Kaliyev, Ambassador-at-Large of Kazakhstan, the Special Working Group and Senior Officials Committee of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) convened in Astana. Participants engaged in comprehensive discussions on the draft Charter orchestrated by the Kazakh chairmanship.

The meetings revolved around finalizing documents intended for the CICA Council of Foreign Ministers and included a detailed report from Secretary General Kairat Sarybay on the Secretariat's year's activities. Another agenda item was the assignment of coordinators for priority CICA dimensions.

Post-session outcomes included approval of the Action Plan for implementing confidence-building measures and the Secretariat's 2025 budget. Officials also empowered the Secretariat to expand relations with organizations like SCO and EAEU and reviewed potential observer status applications from other nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)