The state minister proposes sectoral projects with follow-up mechanisms, more in-person events and stronger ICT cooperation among member states at the 7th CICA Summit in Baku.
TBS Report
15 October, 2026, 06:15 pm
Last modified: 15 October, 2026, 06:22 pm
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today (15 October) called for a more inclusive and results-driven Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), reaffirming Bangladesh's commitment to regional cooperation.
Speaking at the plenary session of the 7th CICA Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, he expressed Bangladesh's support for transforming CICA into a fully fledged international regional organisation with clear legal status, a stronger secretariat, predictable financing and effective decision-making mechanisms, according to a ministry press release.
Humaiun put forward several proposals to strengthen cooperation among member states, including results-oriented sectoral projects backed by formal follow-up mechanisms, more in-person events to encourage wider stakeholder participation, and stronger exchanges among member states' information and communication technology (ICT) institutions.
He also proposed developing confidence-building measures to ensure a safe, open and trusted digital space while addressing emerging challenges related to ICT and artificial intelligence (AI).
The summit is being held under Azerbaijan's chairmanship with the theme "A Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation, and Sustainable Growth in Asia", reflecting key priorities for countries across the continent.
During the summit, Laos became the 29th member of the pan-Asian forum, which was established in 1999 to promote peace, security and stability across Asia.
The summit also endorsed Azerbaijan's chairmanship for 2026-28 and appointed Sultan Hajiyev as CICA's next secretary-general.