NEWS
Welcome address
at the Reception on the occasion of the CICA Day
by H.E. Prof. Marat Tazhin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen!
I am very pleased to welcome the representatives of the Member States of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and all the honored guests on the happy occasion of the CICA Day.
CICA Heads of State and Government decided at the Second Summit in 2006 to observe CICA Day every year to commemorate the initiation of the proposal to convene the Conference by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.
In last sixteen years the CICA has evolved into an important factor in regional cooperation and an instrument for promoting constructive interaction among its Member States.
During this period, CICA has gone through a long evolutionary process from a mere concept for establishing peace and confidence in Asia to a practical mechanism of collective diplomacy. Two summits held in 2002 and 2006 ushered in new mechanism for maintenance of peace and security in the continent.
The institutionalization phase in the forum's evolution has now been completed. The Secretariat has been established in Almaty, Specialized Experts Meetings and Special Working Groups are successfully functioning, and the Senior Officials Committee meets on a regular basis. The process of implementation of the Confidence Building Measures was launched last year and is going on smoothly. CICA has been accorded observer status by the United Nations General Assembly and it participated in the 63rd Session of the General Assembly last month.
At the Third Meeting of the CICA Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Almaty on 25 August 2008 we achieved significant results. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates joined to the Conference as its full Members and the State of Qatar was granted an observer status. A very significant aspect of the meeting was the adoption of Conclusions and the Declaration «CICA progress in implementation of CBMs», which has raised the CICA process to a qualitatively new level of practical implementation of confidence building measures. Moreover, memoranda of understanding between CICA and such international organizations, as Economic Cooperation Organization, International Organization for Migration and Eurasian Economic Community were signed to establish efficient partnership and strengthen cooperation between them.
We should continue realization of the Guidelines for CICA’s External Relations in the future as well for establishment of a strong basis of partnership with other regional and international organizations and fora, inter alia OSCE, АSEAN, SCO, ACD, APEC, etc. It will allow launching a common network of partner organizations which will be helpful for the creation of a security belt in the Eurasian area.
CICA is now entering a very important phase of taking practical steps, that will confirm its usefulness in facilitating peace and security in our vast region. Kazakhstan along with its partners within the Conference will be actively working in this direction.
Together, we can achieve much more for the people of our continent and together we can address threats and challenges that we face in the region, such as international terrorism, organized crime, religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal migration, global financial-economic crises and environmental threats. To meet these challenges, our policy must be focused, constructive and forward-looking.
I am confident that further coordinated steps of the CICA Member States in fulfilling the existing agreements would enhance contribution of the Conference to the cause of strengthening regional and global stability, security and development.
I would like to express my gratitude for the Member States’ active support to the work of the Conference.
Ladies and Gentlemen! Let me thank you all for taking part in this event. Let me also extend my felicitations on the occasion of the CICA Day and best wishes for your well-being and prosperity.
Date of issue: 2008-10-07
