Karabakh horse sculpture unveiled at CICA headquarters in Astana

A sculpture of a Karabakh horse, presented by Azerbaijan as the current chair of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), has been unveiled at the organization's headquarters in Astana.

According to Report's Kazakhstan bureau, the ceremony was held on October 5 to mark CICA Day. CICA Secretary-General Kairat Sarybay and Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alimirzamin Asgarov attended the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Asgarov said the Karabakh horse is part of Azerbaijan's national heritage and symbolizes courage, loyalty and trust. He said the sculpture would serve as a reminder of Azerbaijan's friendship with CICA member states.

The ambassador noted that Azerbaijan's priorities during its CICA chairmanship include developing transport connectivity, supporting small and medium-sized businesses, women's entrepreneurship and the green economy. Particular attention is also being paid to cybersecurity, personal data protection, cultural ties and youth cooperation.

Sarybay thanked Azerbaijan for the gift, noting that the sculpture had added to the collection of artworks presented by CICA member states and reflecting Asia's cultural diversity.

The secretary-general said CICA countries had held around 100 confidence-building events over the past four years. These initiatives covered areas including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, transport, environmental protection and entrepreneurship.

According to Sarybay, CICA is steadily moving from dialogue toward practical cooperation and tangible results. He also highlighted the contribution of Azerbaijan's chairmanship to the environmental agenda, youth cooperation and the launch of the CICA Women's Council.

The seventh CICA Summit is scheduled to take place in Baku on October 15. Ambassador Asgarov expressed hope that the meeting would help consolidate the progress achieved and define the organization's next stage of development.