Azerbaijan chaired an informal ministerial meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at the UN on Thursday, where members agreed to create two new advisory bodies.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, presiding as chair of the CICA Ministerial Council, outlined Baku’s priorities of connectivity, digitalisation and sustainability. He highlighted progress in strengthening CICA’s institutions since Azerbaijan assumed the two-year chairmanship in December 2024.
Among recent initiatives were the Partnership Network of Leading Universities, a CICA Business Forum, and the 13th Think Tank Forum, all hosted in Azerbaijan. Bayramov also presented proposals for new thematic platforms, including a Finance Summit and a Women Council, which were formally established at Thursday’s session.
The CICA Secretary-General and ministers from member states praised Azerbaijan’s leadership, saying the new bodies would deepen cooperation and enhance the grouping’s transformation into a full-fledged international organisation.
The meeting also adopted commemorative statements marking the 80th anniversaries of the end of World War II and of the founding of the United Nations, reaffirming a collective commitment to multilateralism.
CICA, the largest regional platform in Asia, now counts 28 members. Azerbaijan’s chairmanship is guided by the motto: “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation and Sustainable Growth in Asia.”
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