Astana (TDI): The halls at the Secretariat of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) fell quiet for an afternoon as diplomats from across the continent traded conference tables for a football pitch.
This was an annual football tournament in Astana, where CICA has its headquarters, coinciding with the Secretariat’s 20th anniversary.
The tournament brought together teams from the diplomatic missions of member states and international organizations, including representatives from China, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea, Russia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS).
The milestone anniversary lent a celebratory atmosphere to what has quietly become one of the diplomatic calendar’s more anticipated informal gatherings in Astana.
The CICA Secretariat was established in 2006 as the permanent body of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, a pan-Asian forum now counting 27 member states and dedicated to fostering peace and stability through dialogue.
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In a highly competitive yet friendly atmosphere, teams battled through the rounds, with the final match drawing spectators to the edge of their seats. The contest ended in a draw, requiring extra time and a dramatic penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Before the award ceremony, remarks on behalf of the CICA Secretariat underscored the tournament’s importance in bringing people together and reinforcing the spirit of cooperation that underpins the organization’s broader mission.
At a time when Asia’s geopolitical landscape remains deeply complex, with several CICA member states entangled in bilateral tensions, events like this football tournament offer a rare space for personal connection outside formal diplomatic settings.
The CICA football tournament has become a cherished tradition, strengthening relationships and reinforcing the organization’s dedication to fostering cooperation through informal yet meaningful exchanges.
Founded on the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first president Nursultan Nazarbayev, CICA spans some of the world’s most populous and geopolitically consequential nations.
The Secretariat’s two-decade run has seen the forum evolve from a dialogue platform into an institution with a permanent headquarters in Astana, launched in 2023.
