Astana, 28 June 2024 (TDI): The Senior Officials Committee (SOC) of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held a regular meeting in Astana, chaired by Alibek Bakayev, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
The central highlight of the meeting was the formal presentation of the draft Charter and the revised Rules of Procedure for the CICA.
This significant moment underscored the ongoing efforts to refine and enhance the operational framework of the organization.
During the event, participants also examined specific clusters of the Roadmap aimed at transforming the CICA into an international organization.
Specifically, A. Bakayev provided the Conference member states with detailed updates on several key topics.
He discussed the current activities focused on improving the modalities for implementing CICA confidence-building measures.
Additionally, he addressed proposed amendments to the Agreement regarding the conditions for the Secretariat’s presence in the Republic of Kazakhstan’s territory.
Bakayev also highlighted the progress in implementing the priorities set forth by the Kazakh chairmanship.
During the meeting, the member states approved the Action Plan for the Think Tank Forum for 2024.
They also endorsed the concept for the priority area “Security in the Use of ICT and ICT Themselves” for 2024-2025.
The event participants also thoroughly reviewed the annual report on confidence-building measures in the human dimension.
Additionally, they examined the draft final document for the upcoming Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues, scheduled for August 28 this year.
Beyond these topics, the discussion also included the development of CICA’s external relations with other international organizations, emphasizing the importance of fostering collaborative efforts and enhancing diplomatic ties.
In addition, the parties exchanged views on the preparations for the upcoming 7th meeting of the CICA Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled to be held in Baku this November.
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Following the meeting, the SOC made several recommendations to the CICA Council of Foreign Ministers for the subsequent adoption of relevant decisions.
