Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is attending the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Oct. 15, representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Ministry sources said on Oct. 14.
Azerbaijan holds the rotating CICA chairmanship for 2024-2026 and is hosting the meeting of heads of state and government under the theme of a stronger CICA, connectivity, digitalization and sustainable development.
The summit is expected to adopt a Baku Declaration as its main outcome document, along with a statement on cooperation in occupational safety and health. Laos is expected to be announced as a new member.
Gaza and trade corridors on the agenda
According to the ministry sources, Fidan will address the summit and hold several bilateral meetings. In his speech he is expected to stress multilateralism and joint solutions to global crises, criticise Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, and call for a two-state solution and greater international pressure on Israel.
He is also expected to highlight regional transport projects, including the Middle Corridor, which links Türkiye to China via the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia, and the Development Road, a planned rail and road route from Iraq’s Gulf coast to Türkiye. Ankara favours aligning the Middle Corridor with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and climate change are also on his agenda. Türkiye will host and preside over the COP31 UN climate conference in Antalya.
What is CICA?
CICA is an intergovernmental forum launched at Kazakhstan’s initiative to promote security and confidence-building in Asia. It has 28 member states covering about 90% of Asia’s land area and more than half of the world’s population. Its work covers military-political, economic, environmental and human dimensions as well as new threats.
Türkiye is a founding member. It chaired the organisation from 2010 to 2014 and hosted the third summit in Istanbul on June 8, 2010.
The visit comes amid close ties between Ankara and Baku, which describe their relationship with the slogan "one nation, two states". Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was among the leaders scheduled to attend.
Sources
- Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan Azerbaycan’a gidiyor (NTV)
- President Mirziyoyev to visit Azerbaijan for CICA summit (Kun.uz)
Photo: Avisadehh / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
