CICA summit opens new opportunities for Azerbaijan and China

The outcomes of the 7th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in Baku, create new opportunities for regional cooperation, transport links and the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China. The assessment was given to Day.az by political expert Ding Qinping, a doctoral candidate at the Department of International Relations and World Economy at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

According to Ding Qinping, the summit adopted the Baku Declaration and a Statement on Occupational Safety and Health, and granted Laos full membership, broadening the organisation's representation. The summit also decided to extend Azerbaijan's chairmanship until 2028, which she said reflects member states' recognition of its leadership.

She said CICA's transformation into a full international organisation is a realistic medium- and long-term goal, with parties hoping for adoption of a Charter. In transport, alignment of the Middle Corridor and the Trans-Caspian route with the Belt and Road Initiative was noted; in energy, cooperation on renewables, grids and green corridors; and in digitalisation, smart customs, logistics platforms and AI governance.