Colombo, Oct. 20 (Daily Mirror) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath has concluded a two-day official visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he led Sri Lanka’s delegation to the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
Held on October 15, 2026, under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, the summit brought together heads of state, vice presidents and foreign ministers from 28 member states to discuss strengthening regional connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable development in Asia.
Addressing the summit, Minister Herath welcomed the theme, “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalization and Sustainable Growth in Asia,” and emphasised the importance of enhanced connectivity, digital transformation and closer partnerships to achieve meaningful economic integration across the region.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the Baku Declaration, the accession of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as a full member, the extension of Azerbaijan’s chairmanship for 2026–2028 and the appointment of Sultan Hajiyev as CICA Secretary-General.
During the visit, Minister Herath paid a courtesy call on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at Zuğulba Palace. He also held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Palestine, as well as CICA Secretary-General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay.
The discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, agriculture and energy security.
Minister Herath also participated in a high-level business meeting with SOCAR, a leading Azerbaijani energy company, to explore opportunities for strategic cooperation in the energy sector.
He was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran, concurrently accredited to Azerbaijan, Prof. Fazeeha Azmi, and Chamari Rodrigo, Director General of the Ministry’s South East Asia and Central Asia Division.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, the visit reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with CICA member states and expanding mutually beneficial partnerships in trade, tourism, agriculture and energy, while promoting regional connectivity, digital transformation and sustainable economic growth.
