State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Thursday proposed three initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation among Asian countries, focusing on practical projects, wider stakeholder participation and digital collaboration.
He presented the proposals at the plenary session of the seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to a foreign ministry press release.
Kobir reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to regional cooperation and called for transforming CICA into a more inclusive, effective and results-driven organisation.
He also expressed Bangladesh’s support for developing CICA into a full-fledged regional international organisation with a clear legal status, a strengthened Secretariat, predictable financing and effective decision-making mechanisms.
Outlining the proposals, Kobir first called for implementing results-oriented sectoral projects backed by formal follow-up mechanisms to build meaningful and sustainable partnerships among member states.
Second, he proposed organising more in-person events to encourage wider stakeholder participation and strengthen engagement among CICA members.
Third, he stressed the need to expand exchanges among information and communication technology (ICT) institutions in member states.
He also proposed developing confidence-building measures to promote a safe, open and trusted digital environment while addressing emerging challenges associated with ICT and artificial intelligence (AI).
Kobir said Bangladesh remained committed to strengthening regional cooperation through practical initiatives that would deliver tangible benefits to the peoples of Asia.
The seventh CICA Summit is being held under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship with the theme “A Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation, and Sustainable Growth in Asia.” The theme highlights the growing importance of regional connectivity, technological advancement and sustainable economic development across Asia.
During the summit, Laos joined CICA as its 29th member, expanding the pan-Asian forum. The summit also endorsed Azerbaijan’s chairmanship for the 2026–2028 term and approved the appointment of Sultan Hajiyev as the next secretary-general of CICA.
Established in 1999, CICA is a multilateral platform that seeks to promote peace, security, stability and confidence-building across Asia.