A signing ceremony marking the Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s accession to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in Baku.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Operative Information Center-OMM about the event.
Participants included Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov; Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane; CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay; and a representative of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the depositary of CICA’s founding documents.
During the ceremony, Thongsavanh Phomvihane signed two of CICA’s key founding documents: the Declaration on the Principles Guiding Relations between CICA Member States, dated September 14, 1999, and the Almaty Act, dated June 4, 2022.
The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Laos, along with the CICA secretary general, addressed the event, highlighting the significance of the decision for CICA, congratulating Laos and expressing support for its future membership.
The final decision on Laos’ membership is expected to be confirmed at CICA’s Seventh Summit, scheduled to take place in Baku on October 15. The accession would bring the number of CICA member states to 29.
CICA is a regional forum that promotes cooperation and confidence-building among Asian countries. Its members discuss issues including security, economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
