Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has arrived in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, ahead of the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
Hosted by Azerbaijan as the current CICA chair, the summit convenes representatives from member states, observer nations, and international organisations to bolster regional connectivity, digitalisation, and sustainable development.
The gathering is expected to adopt the Baku Declaration alongside a formal framework on occupational safety and health, whilst announcing Laos' accession as a new member.
Addressing the forum on Thursday, Fidan will stress the need for collective solutions based on consultation, consensus, mutual trust, and regional ownership to tackle global crises and geopolitical challenges, while calling for the preservation of UN-centred multilateral diplomacy.
Fidan is also scheduled to raise Israel's continuing genocide in Gaza, condemning illegal settlement expansions and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Institutional transition
Fidan will also champion deeper economic integration across Asia, highlighting Türkiye-backed infrastructure initiatives such as the Middle Corridor and the Development Road.
He will advocate aligning the Middle Corridor with China’s Belt and Road Initiative to consolidate transcontinental trade routes.
On emerging technologies, Fidan will urge a human-centred approach to artificial intelligence that safeguards digital sovereignty, whilst reaffirming Ankara's climate commitments as future host and president of COP31.
Established as a dialogue platform, CICA brings together 28 member states encompassing roughly 90 percent of Asia's landmass and more than half the global population.
Under its 2024–2026 chairmanship, Azerbaijan is spearheading efforts to accelerate CICA's transformation into a fully fledged international organisation.
Türkiye, a founding member that chaired CICA from 2010 to 2014, coordinates key institutional portfolios spanning military-political cooperation, counterterrorism, and trade.
