Azerbaijan chairs CICA meeting in New York, launches new advisory bodies

NEW YORK (MNTV) — Azerbaijan chaired an informal ministerial meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at the United Nations on Thursday, where members agreed to establish two new advisory bodies.

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, presiding as chair of the CICA Ministerial Council, outlined Baku’s agenda, focusing on strengthening connectivity, advancing digitalisation, and promoting sustainable growth. 

He noted that significant progress had been made in consolidating CICA’s institutional role since Azerbaijan assumed the rotating chairmanship in December 2024.

Recent initiatives under Azerbaijan’s leadership include the launch of the Partnership Network of Leading Universities, the organization of a CICA Business Forum, and the 13th Think Tank Forum, all hosted in Baku. 

At Thursday’s meeting, Bayramov also presented new proposals, including a Finance Summit and a Women Council, which were formally approved and established by member states.

CICA ministers and the Secretary-General commended Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, stressing that the new advisory bodies would deepen regional cooperation and strengthen the platform’s ongoing transformation into a full-fledged international organisation.

The meeting also adopted commemorative declarations marking the 80th anniversaries of the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, reaffirming member states’ commitment to multilateralism.

CICA, Asia’s largest multilateral platform, now includes 28 member states. Azerbaijan’s chairmanship is conducted under the motto: “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation and Sustainable Growth in Asia.”