SL joins Conference on Interactions and Confidence Building Measures in Asia

Sri Lanka was unanimously accepted as a Member of Conference on Interactions and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on 15 August, by its 26 member-states. 

CICA is established in 1992, a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia and focuses on confidence building measures against new threats and challenges.

Sri Lanka has been an Observer State of CICA since 2012. The Declaration of Principles Guiding Relations between CICA Member states and the Almaty Act which are the two documents that a new membership seeking states requires to sign was signed by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku on 15 August at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. 

The Ambassador gave a speech outlining the following:

“The CICA was formed in 1992 for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia with eight guiding principles among member-states.

Sri Lanka joined the CICA in 2012 as observer status.

This year the Government of Sri Lanka decided to join as a full member under the Chinese Chairmanship. Sri Lanka is very glad and appreciates the unanimous decision of all CICA Member-states to confer full membership to Sri Lanka, which proves the fact that Sri Lanka has once again won the confidence of global community.

Today I, as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the People’s Republic of China, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, assure of adherence to the declaration of Principles Guiding Relations between CICA Member-States and the Almaty Act. 

I would like to take this opportunity to convey our sincere thanks to all member-states of CICA, particularly to the People’s Republic of China, as the Current Chair of CICA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China and the State Councillor Wang Yi, Chairman of CICA Task Force of the Chinese Chairmanship and all others who contributed to make our endeavour a success.” 

The entry into CICA as a full member is strategically important for Sri Lanka as CICA, being one of the largest political entities in Asia, will benefit Sri Lanka, by enhancing bilateral, promoting economic cooperation and trade, and people to people contacts among the CICA members and further enhance regional and international cooperation. 

The member-states of CICA are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam. 

The current Chair of the CICA is China and the Secretariat of the CICA is located in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. 

The following officials were representing CICA Secretariat at this event: Ambassador Gong Jianwei – Executive Director, Secretariat of CICA, Ambassador Gu Ziping – Department of European and Central Asia Affairs/Chairman of CICA Task Force of the Chinese Chairmanship, and Nurian Zhalgasbayev – Member of Professional Personnel.