Russia proposes developing CICA along pan-Eurasian track

Transforming the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) along a pan-Eurasian track is a necessity of the times and a natural path for the organization's development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the 7th CICA Summit in Baku, according to Report.

"Our efforts are aimed at creating a stable and predictable political and economic environment across the Eurasian continent that would facilitate deeper mutually beneficial practical cooperation," he noted.

Lavrov invited partners to join efforts to develop a political document on diversity and multipolarity in the 21st century that would be universal for Eurasia. According to him, the draft was discussed with several countries on the sidelines of the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Discussions will continue at the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, scheduled for early November. The Russian foreign minister stressed the growing role of regional organizations focused on developing practical cooperation.

"The lead here is taken by such structures as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with its multi-vector mandate," the minister noted.

According to Lavrov, the SCO's agenda largely overlaps with CICA's activities, while the Eurasian Economic Union operates within a similar framework.

"It is no coincidence that these three integration platforms have established ties with one another and are seeking to expand them, with a view to creating a unified network of partnership mechanisms," he said.

Lavrov added that CICA could also become part of this network. The organization has already established working contacts with the Eurasian Economic Commission, the SCO Secretariat and the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.

"We are convinced that transforming CICA along a pan-Eurasian track is a necessity of the times and an objective and natural path for the development of our organization," the Russian foreign minister said.