Sri Lanka Seeks Stronger Central Asia Ties at CICA Summit in Baku

COLOMBO (News 1st); Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath will lead the Sri Lankan delegation to the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 14 to 15.

During the summit, Minister Herath is expected to deliver Sri Lanka’s national statement under the theme, “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation and Sustainable Growth in Asia,” outlining the country’s views on regional cooperation, economic development and sustainable growth.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Foreign Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from several member states, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. He is also expected to meet leaders of host nation Azerbaijan and the Secretary-General of CICA.

The 7th CICA Summit is expected to bring together Heads of State, Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers from the organization’s 28 member countries, representing regions across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

The visit is expected to provide Sri Lanka with an opportunity to strengthen engagement with the wider Asian region while exploring new economic and investment partnerships with the rapidly growing economies of Central Asia.

CICA is regarded as the largest regional intergovernmental forum in Asia focused on enhancing cooperation and promoting peace, security and stability across the continent.