Afət Ziyadqızı
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the 7th Summit of the Council of Heads of State and Government of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), to be held in Baku.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing reliable diplomatic sources at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, that leaders of member states and senior delegations from observer countries and partner international organizations will attend the high-level summit hosted by Azerbaijan.
The summit will feature broad discussions of shared priorities and prospects for multilateral cooperation among major geostrategic actors shaping global politics and the economy in Asia. The agenda is expected to focus on the conceptual theme put forward during Azerbaijan’s successful chairmanship: “A stronger CICA in Asia: connectivity, digitalization and sustainable development.”
The planned outcomes include adoption of the historic “Baku Declaration” as the summit’s final document, as well as a special statement on cooperation in occupational safety and health. The formal announcement of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic joining CICA as a new full member is also expected.
Fidan is expected to deliver a keynote address at the summit’s plenary session and hold a series of bilateral meetings. The Turkish diplomat is expected to stress the importance of joint solutions based on consultation, dialogue, mutual trust and regional responsibility amid global crises and geopolitical threats, and to call for stronger effective multilateral diplomacy.
In his remarks, Fidan is expected to address the crisis in the Middle East and highlight the need to end what he describes as Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip that violate humanitarian principles, its occupation policies and its blockade of humanitarian aid. He is also expected to underscore the need for the international community to increase pressure to achieve a just and lasting peace through a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.
Fidan is also expected to discuss the importance of regional cooperation within CICA in the fields of the economy, trade, digitalization, energy and technology, and to highlight the contribution of strategic transport and logistics projects such as the Middle Corridor and the Development Road to regional stability. He is expected to note that synergies between the Middle Corridor initiative and China’s Belt and Road Initiative will further strengthen economic integration across Eurasia.
Fidan will also recall that Türkiye is due to host the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) and make a statement on the coordinated leadership role of Ankara and Baku in addressing climate change and ensuring environmental sustainability.
CICA is a unique dialogue platform for security and cooperation in Asia, bringing together 28 states that cover 90 percent of the continent’s territory and more than half of the world’s population.
During its 2024–2026 chairmanship, Azerbaijan has advanced major initiatives to develop regional connectivity, digitalization and the green energy transition, and to support small and medium-sized businesses. Official Baku has also made a significant contribution to the process of transforming CICA into a full-fledged international organization.
Türkiye, one of the organization’s founding members and its chair from 2010 to 2014, continues to serve as a leading coordinator in military and political affairs, economic cooperation and efforts to counter emerging threats.
