June 4, 2022 the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan hold a meeting with the Executive Director of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Saribay.

During the conversation, ISRS First Deputy Director Akramjon Nematov noted that CICA today has taken a strong place and plays an important role in the pan-Asian security architecture, is the most extensive platform for multilateral interaction in Asia based on cooperation, dialogue, consensus and voluntariness.

The advantage of CICA, as Akramjon Nematov emphasized, is a comprehensive, interdimensional approach to ensuring security and its indivisibility. It is emphasized that the demand for CICA is explained by the growing role of the Asian continent in international affairs, the dynamics of its economic development and the growth of interconnectedness, as well as the need for a joint response to common challenges and threats to security and sustainable development.

In turn, Kairat Saribay highly assessed the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan and the positive trend that has emerged with the advent of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the consolidation of Central Asian countries and the development of regional interconnectedness. It was noted that CICA could serve as a suitable platform for promoting 10 initiatives on the interconnectedness of Central and South Asia, announced by the President of Uzbekistan during the Tashkent Conference in 2021. Gratitude was expressed to the Uzbek side for the active support of the activities of the CICA, it was emphasized that with the consolidation of the role of the coordinator of CICA confidence building measures in the human dimension from 2020 to Uzbekistan, the catalog of CICA confidence building measures was significantly expanded by including issues of ensuring gender equality, the rights and interests of youth , enhancing its role in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radicalism.

The wide involvement of Uzbekistan in the work of the CICA will give a tangible impetus to its activities, will contribute to strengthening trust and mutual understanding in the vast region of Central Asia and Eurasia, - noted K. Saribay.

At the end of the meeting, the parties discussed the importance of close coordination and cooperation between ISRS and CICA, including within the framework of the Forum of Think Tanks, which serves as a platform for exchanging views and developing conceptual proposals.

The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is an international forum uniting 27 states of the Asian continent.

The CICA sets itself the task of strengthening relations and cooperation between Asian states in order to ensure stability and security in the region.